Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

Contract
By : NeemaAdaeze
Category: Bleach > Het - Male/Female
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Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, nor make money from it
Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
Hmm, sometimes I wonder why my mind is more perverted than my real life. I guess relying on hentai and yaoi so much seemed to warp me that much!LOL

Contract by Boogermeister

Chapter 2- Crescent Introduction

Two years prior....

The bear-like beast snarled in pained anger, blackish blood dripped heavily to the streets as it staggered from its opponent. It was late in night, much of Karakura Town was asleep, but certain things occured once the humans were seemingly safe in their homes. Stories of 'monsters' who come to vulnerable ones were often true, but most humans don't believe that there were such things as monsters and demons.... simply because they had never even noticed their true forms out in the open.

In the modern world, society was far too busy to question the unknown world, with so many distractions from technology and pop cultures. As such, demons were able to mask themselves as the ones they would prey on, seeing how the humans themselves were easy to trick like ignorant sheeps. But a very few groups of human were able see through the facade and eliminate the threat in populated areas.

These humans were very special, and they worked either alone or in teams to dispose the terrorizing demons much to the ignorance of the other humans. On this night, however, this one demon was being cornered by a lone hunter, snarling lowly with it beady eyes glowing under the dimmed street lights. ".... Tch, typical.... some demon portrayed as a bland businessman stalking a high school girl...." muttered the hunter in her tomboyish voice, hiding in the darkness. "I swear, you monsters are becoming nothing but peeping toms. Might as well use pepper spray on you instead of a sword."

"Shut your fucking mouth, hunter....!" snarled the demon in a guttural voice, the clothing on him ripped and stretched over his hairy body as he stepped forward on all four legs with large claws. "You just have to ruin my moment, killing and eating the girl's family just so I can have her!"

"Like I said, you demons have devolved into nothing but perverts.... It makes me so annoyed by that very fact...." she said, as she stepped into the dim lighting of a street lamp. The hunter narrowed her chocolate brown eyes at him with a permanent scowl on her face. Fairly tall, she was dressed in her grey high school uniform consisted of a jacket and slacks with dirt covered canvas sneakers. But in her right hand was a slick black katana that was dripping drops of the monster's blood. "I could be at home right now and relaxing in my bed, but you bastards have a habit revealing yourself at night when I barely had a chance to change outta my uniform...." she scoffed, her bright orange spikes seemed to glow under the light as she shook her head.

"Who cares....? Maybe I kill and eat you instead....!" the demon growled threateningly.

"Really now? I didn't know I'm your type," she huffed. Almost instantly, she jumped away the moment the demon lunged at her, the heavy claws cracked the hardened tar and gravels of the streets. Without skipping a beat, she counterattacked as she slashed at his side. The beast's fur were thick enough to deflect most of the blow but it was enough to slice the skin underneath. He snarled and staggered back, before the teen girl charged at it head-on.

"I'll make this quick...." she frowned, with her sword raised.

"Not so fast....!"

"Huh....?" She immediately ducked a swipe that was coming at her, but moved to slash at one of his forelegs. Again, it only made a shallow cut regardless of her strength. "Damn it.... Maybe I should've asked my dad for some help....!" she scoffed under her breath, as she jumped back from another attack. "Thought this would be a nuisance but you're even a bigger nuisance, for that matter!" Seeing how the beast was staggering back, the teen girl moved quickly to the demon's side. A slash to his hind legs would be enough to disable it before she could finally kill it.

"You're mine....!" she gritted.

"Not likely....!" snarled the demon. Barely having time to react, the teen dodged back when the beast suddenly whirled around. But she reacted too late, when she felt a harsh blow at her left shoulder as she was thrown toward a cluster of garbage cans.

"Arghhh!" she yelped out in pain, mostly from her now apparent injury. But she struggled to get as the monster laughed gutturally.

"Fool, you didn't even notice my tail....!" he grinned, whipping around the large leathery appendage. "Now that you've been dealt with, maybe I should have some fun with you!"

"You disgusting beaver-looking fuck....! As if I will be taken down so easily!" the girl gritted as she attempted to get to her feet. But she suddenly felt a painful spasm in her side, from the result of the collison with the trashcan, and fell to one knee. "Fuck....!" she winced. She could see the beast closing in on her but her injuries was making her unable to flee.

"Heh.... now you're mine...." he growled lecherously, slimey drool dripping from his sharp teeth.

"Shit....!" The beast instantly lunged at her and the girl flinched, expecting the fatal attack. But then.... all she saw was that the demon was suddenly frozen, his terrifying muzzle dropped into a gaping shock. "Wh-what the....?" she gasped in surprise, before the beast crumpled heavily to the ground with large amount of blood splurted out from the back of his neck. The teen just stared, but she soon knew what caused the sudden slaying.

"Goodness gracious....! You shouldn't have taken this assignment by yourself, maybe next time you should accept some help....!" She glanced up to the voice, noticing the person walking around the now dead demon. He was over twenty years older than her but the grin on his face was exceptionally childish, as he looked at her with greyish-green eyes.

But she just frowned at him, taking in the sight of his usually odd clothing of green-colored traditional kimono. His light blond bed-head hair was tucked underneath his green and white striped bucket hat, and his chin was covered in stubbles as if he wouldn't bother to shave at all. He was also wearing traditional sandals, as he walked over the thick puddle of black blood with ease. "Hmm? What's with that face?" he grinned at her frowning demeanor.

".... I didn't need any help, Kisuke," she muttered. Kisuke simply blinked at her, like a dog quizzically observing something, before smiling lightly.

"And how you wallowing in rotten banana peels and used tissues make me assume that you don't need any help?" he joked, his own sword dripping blood before he began wiping it against the corpse's fur. The teen girl's frown deepened, not wanting to hear another lecture as she glared away. "On a different matter.... you were being careless again, and look where it got you," he muttered, his seemingly cheerful tone vanished into a serious one and Ichigo flinched at that.

"I had it under control, but then he used his tail on me--" she grumbled.

"Don't use such petty excuses when you can get yourself killed, I'm getting tired of hearing that," he frowned at her, his tone bordering on disappointment. "You mean you didn't observe your surroundings? You didn't see what possible abilities the demon could have? Do you even know what type of demon this is, for that matter....?"

She didn't answer, either by uncertainty or just being too stubborn, and Kisuke let out a deep sigh. "Wait a second...." he sighed, taking out his phone.

"Tch, don't call my dad...." she mumbled.

"I'm not, just the usual disposal crew," he replied, as he dialed a series of buttons before putting it away. ".... Come on, you can explain to your dad of your injuries. Again." The girl scoffed but nodded, very slowly she got to her feet with her sword using as a leverage.

"Ahh....!" she hissed. She could feel the pain in her shoulder, straight through the bones, but it didn't feel like she broke it as she hobbled after Kisuke for home. 'Again'.... she started to hate that word so much, as it was constantly used by both her father and mentor alike. It wasn't like she was a novice of hunting demons-- sure she only started officially over six months ago, but she had been training years before that. It wasn't her fault that she wanted to challenge herself and take on strong demons.

Her father, a local doctor, begged to differ and would see it as her asking for trouble. The pain on her side subsided a little but it would leave a very deep bruise for days, but her shoulder and arm were a different matter, as she glanced at Kisuke. ".... Dad'll forbid me from hunting for real, right?" she mumbled.

"He couldn't.... you should know better than that," sighed Kisuke. "If you were like your sisters, then he'd consider it. After all, you're pretty special...." The teen girl simply frowned, before seeing her home just up the street. A typical two-storied house with a clinic office attached at the front. But it was more than that, as she saw her father standing by the gate. Even at middle-aged, he was built like an athlete underneath his doctor's coat with his arms crossed over his chest. His black hair was a sharp contrast to the girl's bright orange one, but his deep frown seemed to match her own when they walked up to him.

".... This is the fourth time this month, young lady," he muttered quietly, eyeing at her disheveled and hunching appearance.

"Dad--" she spoke.

"Go to my office right now, I'll have a word with you later," he said sternly. The teen just frowned at his scolding words, before slowly making her way past him. Both her father and her mentor were waiting for her to go inside, and she did that, not wanting to hear about multiple mistakes she had made. Once the footsteps had finally ceased, the older man sighed as he shook his head.

"She's becoming too reckless, Kisuke...." he scoffed softly. "Just last week, I had to heal her face from the last attack, and now this...."

"Isshin.... just calm down," Kisuke said but Isshin just grumbled.

"They are going to catch wind of this, and take her away," he frowned. "She's strong, we both know that, but unless she has patience and even common sense, she's gonna cause destructions. That'll be even more dangerous than the demons that roamed around here."

"Well, I've done what I can to help her.... but there's so far I can go," sighed Kisuke, scratching at his chin. "Each hunter has their own unique skills. And it's up to her that she perfects it, Isshin. Sure, she's similar to you with swordfighting skills, but most of her powers stemmed from dear Masaki. Not to mention her good looks...." he added jokingly.

"Hmm.... It's because of Masaki that she wanted to become a hunter as soon as possible," Isshin frowned grimly. "It didn't have to be her death to make her decide so soon...."

".... Do you still blame him for her death, Isshin?" he asked quietly but the other man simply shook his head.

"I've never blamed him at all, her death was unavoidable," he muttered. "I was angry, yes, but there was nothing any of us could have done about it...."

"That still doesn't explain why you have him sent away for almost seven years," he pointed out as he glanced at him. "You can't have him avoid your family forever, not when there's an agreement between him and Masaki." That made Isshin grimace at the thought of it but the other hunter simply shrugged. "She was the one who created it, and you agreed to it as well, all because she knew that your daughter is worthy for protection--"

"It sounded more like an arranged marriage, and nothing can be done about it since it was agreed with blood...." he scoffed but then he frowned in concern as he glanced at the house. ".... She hadn't seen him for seven years, so I don't know how she will feel about this. She might even think I'm.... whoring her away or something of the sort."

"I doubt that, she had loved him--"

"As a family friend, but as a.... lover? She never even had a boyfriend in her entire life," he muttered. "Plus.... she still has some amount of animosity towards demons without a reason since Masaki's death. Hell, she still dislikes being around Yoruichi, but I think that itself is a different reason."

"Yeah, Yoruichi's a bit nutty.... So, what're you gonna do about it?" he asked. Isshin stood silent for a while and contemplated on his thoughts, before taking a deep exhale.

"Where was he last seen, Kisuke?" he sighed.

"Hmm, about halfway north of the country, hiding in the forest," he nodded. "He hadn't avoided complete human contact, so I'm sure he knows how to use a phone."

"You already knew of his location?" he questioned, and Kisuke merely grinned.

"We've chatted from time to time, no big deal," he smiled. But Isshin sighed and frowned in concern, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What if she doesn't want this....? What if she hates him or something?" he muttered quietly.

".... You can't go back of what was promised, Isshin," muttered Kisuke. "If she know of that, I doubt she will back out of it, since it was her mother who had written it."

"That's what I'm afraid of, her being forced into this without her opinion of it...." he frowned. ".... I'll talk to you later, Kisuke. See if you can arrange a meeting in a few days. There are plenty of things we need to discuss...."

"All right, if you say so.... later," Kisuke nodded before taking his leave. Isshin watched his old friend walking away, then turning to his house. He was much too tired to scold and lecture his reckless daughter. He will simply fix her up and go to bed. There were so many things going through his mind but the first agenda popped up. He could only hope it will go well.

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".... Ichigo! Ichigo Kurosaki!"

With a snort, Ichigo was startled awake, her tired eyes blinked to realize that a dozen pairs of eyes were on her. Instead of feeling embarrassed for sleeping in class, she merely frowned, as if she was being bothered for doing such a thing. ".... What?" she grumbled, looking at the disgruntled teacher in front of the chalkboard.

"Don't 'what' me, Ichigo! Just because you had another health setback, it doesn't give you an excuse to sleep in class....!" the teacher huffed in annoyace. "I just want you to keep up on your schoolwork if you want to pass the next year! Is that clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am...." Ichigo nodded, though without much fuss. She ignored the snarky stares and snickers, when she listened absentmindedly to the lecture that she already knew about.

But her mind went back to her banged up shoulder; aside from the usual painkillers her father gave her some special medicine made from certain types of demon blood couple of days ago. Hunters had found ways to make use of the monsters besides killing them for centuries, and Ichigo didn't have a choice to refuse the concotioin. As if she wanted to spent weeks on bedrest when there were demons to exterminate.

But it was still sore when she leaned on it, as she lazily scrawled in her notebook. All of the sudden, a small object bounced onto her desk. She blinked in surprised annoyance at first, but she realized what it was. A novelty bunny-shaped eraser, when she picked it up. Frowning, she glanced to her right, raising an eyebrow at her best friend right next to her. Compared to her fairly tall frame, her friend was quite petite, like imagining an elementary student hanging out at a wrong school.

She was wearing the standard girl's uniform of grey blazer and skirt with a big red ribbon tucked underneath her chin. Her ink-black hair framed around her face with frays and bangs, and her big round violet-blue eyes made her expression all the more innocent. But her personality spoke a different line, as she smirked mischievously at Ichigo. ".... What have you done this time?" she mouthed, now that the instructor had her back turned.

Ichigo just rolled her eyes in slight annoyance but she scribbled on a blank page of her notebook. A moment later, she nudged it to the edge of her desk so her friend can discreetly read it.

'Had a big fight and injured my shoulder. Kisuke was there in time to stop it.'

Her smaller friend could only smile, but Ichigo knew that look. It was the 'I told you so' one, especially when it involved battling against strong demons. But she always ignored her warnings, considering that she was the one who was exterminating them while her friend could only read about the myths and the supernatural. ".... Rukia Kuchiki, are you reading off Kurosaki's papers?" their teacher called them, catching their idleness in time.

"N-no, Ma'am....!" Rukia piped up, in her faux surprise voice as she appeared to be shock. "It's just that Ichigo wanted to show me something, and it turned out that she had been doodling penises....!"

"Wh-what....?!" Ichigo gasped in utter surprise. She was actually left lost for words as the classroom erupted into laughter. "I-I'm not doing such a thing, I swear....!" she managed to speak out, but her embarrassingly red cheeks said otherwise. But the teacher simply shrugged as she waved for the students to calm down.

"Kids these day.... As long as you do your classwork," she sighed before going back to her lecture. Ichigo, still red in the face, could just scowl. Just because her best friend came from a long noble line of demon hunters, it didn't mean she should be made fun of. Speaking of which, she glared at Rukia, who nonchalantly jotting down her notes. She should get her for that one of these days.

Later....

"Sorry, I'm so sorry! It's just that it was too good to pass up!" Rukia whined, her small hands latched onto Ichigo's sleeves as she was dragged across the schoolyard now that the day was over. But Ichigo completely ignored her, her light weight was no match as she made casual stride for the front gate. "Come on, Ichigo....! Don't be like that, I'll treat you some food if that's what you want!"

".... Two weeks' worth," Ichigo finally spoke, but Rukia seemed to balk at that in surprise.

"Ah! My allowance can't cover that....!" she whined.

"Your family's rich, Byakuya could make some exception," Ichigo deadpanned.

"But what can I do to cover my shopping budget? I might have to get an actual job," Rukia huffed indignantly. For once, Ichigo smirked a little as they continued walking, going down the street for the shopping districts.

"I'd love to see that, I wanna imagine the look on your brother's face with you working behind the fast food counter," she sighed. "At least you can feed me anytime you could." Rukia huffed and let go of her, but her expression soon went serious as she glanced at her.

".... So that explains why you weren't at school the past couple of days, Ichigo," she stated. "Maybe you should consider working with someone or--"

"I can't," Ichigo frowned, shaking her head. "I mean, I don't think I'm capable of teamwork, anyway. Not every hunters are teamwork-material."

"But you're still a novice, Ichigo," Rukia frowned.

"Well, if your brother let you work with me--"

"He'd rather let me be slaughtered by hordes of demons than work with you," she replied with a light smirk. "Those are his words exactly, I'm not chopping words up." Ichigo simply scoffed, when they went inside a burger restaurant. "Oh well.... maybe you should take a break or something. Kisuke needs to re-vamp your training or--"

"Kisuke said that he's done all he can for me, that I have to learn more for myself," Ichigo muttered, as they got their food and sat in a nearby booth.

"And you getting banged up parts of your lesson?"

"Shut up...." Ichigo grumbled. "You yourself have already got enough lesson from reading so much. You know which weapon is more effective against certain demons, or how using assistance from.... said demons to defeat the stronger ones. You should be the one to become a hunter right now."

"I know but we're not all geniuses," Rukia shrugged, munching on her fries. "I mean, your cousin was already a child prodigy and became a hunter at age twelve."

"Don't remind me, Kaien likes to act like a big shot when he needs to be," Ichigo mumbled with a mouthful of bacon cheeseburger. "I would ask him to help me out, but he got his own dumb problems. Something about his business caught on fire."

"A firework factory catching on fire is not dumb," smiled Rukia. "Anyway, Ichigo.... I think you should talk to your dad about taking some time off. You need to re-think of what you should do. Maybe I could give you some books to study more."

"Hmm, no thanks on the books part but I should take it easy," Ichigo muttered as she took a few more bites. "I'm not invincible like a superhero, but I want to keep fighting."

"Whatever you say, Ichigo...." she sighed. After the meal, both Rukia and Ichigo went on their separate ways, with the orange-haired teen going home. She glanced around in her surrounding and frowned a little. Passerbys wouldn't notice what she was seeing, as her keen eyes saw disguised demons walking about, dressed as the usual businessmen. But they were the lowest level of monsters, not needed to be dealt with, so she continued on her way.

It wasn't that she completely loathed demons.... but she doesn't get why she couldn't deal with every one she had come across. It was their secret law, to only kill those who threatens human lives. Not that it mattered, with modern times even high-ranking demons ran half the world's corporations. The days of scary folk tales and nighttime haunting were gone, and the hunters were actually working alongside some demons who liked to live as humans.

Ichigo sighed tiredly, sticking her hands into her pockets. She thought about her mother.... she was like that, too, believing that all demons are not that terrible despite coming from a long line of strong priestesses. In fact.... Ichigo remembered her mother being friends with one demon, whom she had known since she was young. And she couldn't deny that he was far different than the monsters she had encountered. But.... it turned out that he was just like the rest, now that her mother is dead.

Finally reaching her home, she opened the door and stepped inside. It was unusually quiet, and she suspected her younger sisters were busy with something else. But her father was still in the clinic, as she could hear faint noises in the distance. She didn't need to bother him, considering that he had done enough for her with her troublesome manners, as she quietly walked upstairs to her room. "Man...." she exhaled, tossing her schoolbag onto her bed.

She then took off her uniform, removing a wooden badge-shaped charm out of her pocket. It was something that kept even the low-class demons at bay, but it acted similar to a stun gun to stronger demons. As soon as she stripped down to her underwears and moved for her street clothes, she heard more muffled noises from downstairs. It could be her sisters coming home, that could be it. "Good, they should be home...." she sighed as she moved to open the door after changing her clothes.

But as soon as Ichigo did so, she suddenly froze. The air.... it felt different somehow. Like it was tainted by something. ".... Dad? Dad, you still home?" she called out, snatching up her badge before leaving her bedroom.

"Ichigo? You were already home....?" Isshin called back, obviously from the living room when she rushed downstairs. Ichigo frowned in slight confusion, when she looked at her father, before she glanced around. "Something wrong, Ichigo?" he asked.

".... Is someone here? I thought I heard a voice or something," she frowned.

"Oh, it's just Kisuke, he has some news for me but he's hiding out in the kitchen," he sighed, sitting down on the couch with a deep exhale. He took a fleeting glance at her but shook his head. "I think.... the news involves you, Ichigo," he said, catching her attention.

"Me? Look, if it's about that last fight I had--" Ichigo frowned.

"No, it's not that," Isshin shook his head.

"Then what? I was just thinking about taking it easy as a hunter, since I'm still new to this," she muttered. She didn't feel like sitting at the moment as she crossed her arms. There was something she couldn't quite put her finger on, that she should feel wary of. But for some reason.... there was something that felt familiar about this feeling.

".... Ichigo?" Isshin spoke. "Is there something wrong?" he frowned.

"I dunno, but I wish Kisuke could hurry it up to tell us something," she sighed, but her mentor came out of the kitchen munching on an opened bag of chips.

"Oh, Ichigo! What a pleasant surprise!" he grinned goofily though Ichigo frowned at him.

"How is it a surprise? I live here, idiot," she frowned.

"No, I mean that I only meant to speak to your father," he grinned. "But I guess since you're here, there's no need for secrets. Please sit down, Ichigo." Ichigo was still wary but nodded as she moved to sit down. But as Kisuke walked past the couch, Ichigo suddenly smelled a strange earthy scent on him, like dirt and leaves as well as.... animal hair. That was really strange, her eccentric mentor rarely leaves his home, let alone the city.

".... Did you go go somewhere, Kisuke?" she asked. "You smell like you've been frollicking in fertilizer."

"I do....? Maybe I have, who knows," Kisuke smiled, popping a few more chips into his mouth. "But anyway.... in case you haven't noticed, Ichigo, I've really went on a special trip for the past few days. It was on the request of your father, of course."

"Dad?" Ichigo frowned, glancing at her father. But Isshin seemed more composed of the coming news, his eyes narrowed in concentration at the otherwise jovial man. "Dad asked you to do something for him? For what?"

"Well.... I guess I have to explain this to you, then," Kisuke sighed, his expression sobered up as he looked at the teen. "You know how us hunters often partnered up with demons.... since there are actual demons who would rather live in peace alongside humans rather than create chaos," he explained. "But.... such partnership is more than just a verbal agreement. Some demons preferred to have a written vow to ensure the trust of their human counterparts, and in turn the hunters often have to bargain away something in the long run."

"Partnership....? Might as well give up your soul to the devil...." grumbled Ichigo.

"Ichigo.... there's no reason to act so antagonistic," Kisuke sighed. "But demons are living the lives of humans in this day and age, seeing that they don't have to fight against them for survival anymore. That's why I'm partnered with Yoruichi for over a decade."

"No, you're partnered with her because you guys are dating since forever," Ichigo frowned at that. But Kisuke was still serious as he took a deep sigh.

".... Your mother was no different, Ichigo," he sighed, ignoring the bristling reaction of the teen.

"Well, her partner's the reason that she's not here anymore...." Ichigo scoffed.

"Ichigo--" Isshin frowned.

"How does this have to do with me?" she huffed in annoyance. "I'm trying my best as a hunter already and-- wait a minute.... you guys want me to get partnered up with a demon?!" she realized.

"Ichigo, wait a minute," her father said, but she got up abruptly from the couch.

"Why should I do that?! There's no way I would do that....!" she scowled. "You guys know what happened to Mom, and yet you want me to do something that had gotten her killed....?!"

"Ichigo," Kisuke said firmly. "There have been plenty of deaths with us hunters whether or not we have demon partners. But you cannot blame your mother's death because of it--"

"I have every fucking right to blame it, Kisuke!" she scowled.

"Ichigo!" Isshin scolded as he stood up.

"No....! Neither of you were there when it happened!" she argued. "I saw everything before my eyes.... and nobody saved her in time! Who else can I blame?"

".... I understand your anger, Ichigo," frowned Kisuke. "But you using your personal problem is nothing but a pitiful excuse to fulfill your skills as a hunter. You're still young, this is the last resort I can teach you as your instructor. Either you figure out what you can do with it, or you fail miserably and it could be resulted in severe injuries or even worse."

".... Then I guess I'm flunking as your student, Kisuke," scoffed Ichigo before turning to leave.

"Ichigo, just wait a second--" Isshin called out.

"Just leave her be, Isshin.... She knows better than to risk any more problems," Kisuke muttered, as they heard the rushed footsteps then the harsh slamming of a door.

"But she's far too stubborn, especially for something like this," he frowned deeply. "If she doesn't do this, then what else can we do? It won't be long until her real powers start to blossom at an unexpected time, and they will use her as some fighting machine."

"Just be patient, Isshin...." sighed Kisuke as he turned to him. "We have to do this now, I already got him and he already agreed to do this."

"Not that it matters," he grumbled.

"Well, we'll wait and see...."

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Ignoring the clinking noises of plates and cutlery, Ichigo mentally sulked as she ate her dinner. Her dark aura was practically felt by her younger twin sisters around the dining table, but they knew it was more than the usual irritation. One of them, a brunette with worrisome light brown eyes trying to concentrate on her food, frowned of what could had happened earlier today. But her other half, with her black hair tucked underneath her baseball hat, was simply annoyed by the bad air as all girls ate in silence.

Ichigo knew that her father had went out for the evening, but she didn't care. Not when that goat-faced oaf consented to the idea of her partnering up with some demon. She doesn't get it, why Isshin would do something like that when it was the same type of partnership that killed her mother? Even if it does make her sound petty and even childish, she had no way of relenting such a thing, as she exhaled sharply.

".... For crying out loud, just ask her, Yuzu," huffed the black-haired girl, startling the other twin.

"U-uhh, no need for that, Karin!" she stammered. "If Ichigo doesn't want to talk about it, then it shouldn't be--"

"Something's bothering her and I think it's Dad's fault again," Karin frowned. "I bet it involves hacking up demons and some other craps. Is that right, Ichigo?"

"Uhm, you don't have to discuss it, Sis--" Yuzu said. But Ichigo shook her head. Her full blown irritation lightened into a form of concern as she glanced at the two.

"Dad and Kisuke.... they think I'm not good enough of a hunter, that's all," she sighed.

"Of course you're not," Karin pointed out, and Ichigo scoffed at her. "What? You're not, you would always come home as if you were fighting a bear."

"Tch, if you put it that way...."

"But that just means that every one cares about you, Ichigo," her twin reassured. Ichigo looked at them but nodded, putting up a bland smile.

"I'm still learning, I've only been doing this for only a few months," she replied. "But I want to learn on my own, that's why they're so concerned about me and only me. You guys don't have to worry about carrying a burden like this."

"I might pick up on it, I've got some amount of powers to sense out the demons from the regular people," muttered her black-haired sister.

"But let's hope not...." sighed Ichigo. As soon as she resumed eating, the girls heard the front door opening. Yuzu, being the one who had cooked dinner, quickly got up from her seat and sprinted out of the dining room.

"Dad, you're already home....?" Ichigo heard her call out but she continued eating, as there was no reason to greet him. "I thought you were working at the hospital, Dad! I could've left your dinner on the table....!"

"It's okay, Yuzu, I was over at Kisuke's place," Isshin muttered. "Speaking of which...."

"Hello there, Yuzu! My, you're getting taller everyday!" greeted Kisuke, but Ichigo scoffed under her breath. That man would only act like a idiot when needed to be. "Where's that bone-headed sister of yours? We got something for her....!"

"Huh? For Ichigo?" Yuzu questioned in surprise.

"As a matter of fact.... we should tell them all about it, Kisuke. This is your idea to do this," said Isshin, and Ichigo paused in her movements. Were they still talking about the partnership from earlier?

"Tell us about what....? Is it an actual gift or something?" Karin asked from overhearing it, as she got up and left.

"Wait a minute, Karin...." Ichigo frowned, as she stood up as well. But she immediately stiffened, it was that same dirt-like smell that cloaked over her mentor from earlier. But.... it smelled stronger this time, as if someone had been living in the wilderness for a long time.

".... What's going on, guys?" she asked, frowning when she finally walked into the living room. "And Kisuke, why do you still smell? I know you're a little loony but--"

"Oh, that? I've already cleaned up, laundry and all!" beamed Kisuke. Ichigo could roll her eyes at his answer but when she glanced at both her mentor and her father standing by the opened front door, she suddenly felt an odd disturbance in the air. She knew that type of feeling, it was almost like second nature as her reached for her back pocket. "Ichigo...." Kisuke calmly called out, and her movements instantly ceased. "So you can sense it after all...."

"Huh? What's going on?" Yuzu asked in slight confusion.

"I think Ichigo sense a strange demon outside," Karin answered but was just as confused. "What are you guys doing? Are you bringing a visitor here, Dad?" But Ichigo, with her hand still inside her back pocket, simply stared in utter disbelief of what was happening. So they were serious about it, yet they were still doing it despite her opinions about it.

"Something like that, Karin," sighed Isshin. "Don't worry about it. I taught you girls that there are some demons who don't act like ravenous beast. This one is exceptionally different--"

"What do you think you're doing, Dad?" Ichigo questioned him. "If you think you can bring some demon here, with Yuzu and Karin around--"

"Ichigo, enough of that, you have no choice in matter anyway," Kisuke frowned, his serious mode switched at the drop of the hat. Ichigo frowned back at his disregarding tone. ".... In case that you've guessed it, I have already brought in a particular demon that we know of for a very long time...." he explained. "It took a while to track him down, but after much convincing, he agreed to be here. As a matter of fact.... he wanted to see you guys...."

"What was that....?" frowned Ichigo. A demon.... wanted to see her family? That couldn't be right.... "Who is he? Why does he want to see us, let alone me, Kisuke?" she questioned.

"First of all, let go of your badge, Ichigo. You won't be needing that," Kisuke advised. Ichigo scowled but did so, but she was still defensive just in case, as her mentor stepped out. ".... Yes, you can come in," he muttered quietly outside. "I doubt anything will bad happen in there. You must do this."

Within reluctant seconds, Ichigo and her sisters suddenly saw a large shadowy figure walking up to the doorway. She could sense this demon's intense aura, as a part of her skills. But she managed herself to stay calm, while her twin sisters were more or less curious of who it was. At least it explained why Kisuke smelled like dirt, coming from this monster. ".... Don't just stand there, you're welcomed here," Isshin said.

"...." The demon, obviously in his 'human' disguise, stepped into the small foyer heavily with his large mud-covered hiking boots. He was tall, nearly a half a foot taller than Ichigo, but he was hunched over with his face concealed by his worn-out hooded sweatshirt and his hands stuffed in the pockets of his equally worn down jeans. Whoever he was, he didn't seem to have any knowledge of buying and keeping new clothes.

And yet.... Ichigo felt oddly strange about this demon, despite her wariness. She wasn't sure why, as she narrowed her eyes at the newcomer. "Ah.... he's very big!" gasped Yuzu, and the demon nearly flinched at her comment.

"He doesn't look so tough, though," frowned Karin. "It's like Kisuke picked up some homeless guy off the street. That's why he smells weird...."

"Now, now, he may smell weird but that's besides the point," smiled Kisuke, stepping around said demon. "This guy right here, will help Ichigo learn how to be a better hunter. I told you girls that some hunters are partnered up with demons to deal with some more troublesome ones."

"Like Miss Yoruichi, right?" said the brown-haired twin.

"Correct.... but your sister is being stubborn as usual. She needs to learn every single lesson if she wants to become a full-fledge hunter," Kisuke remarked, ignoring Ichigo's annoyed scoff.

"Ichigo...." Isshin muttered as he walked up to his eldest daughter. "Just understand.... at the very least you must try to do this," he frowned in concern. "This is your last chance as a hunter, and I cannot do anything else for you. Do you understand that, Ichigo?"

".... Yeah, fine, whatever," Ichigo sighed, but deep down she didn't mean it. The sooner she could get this over with, the sooner she can continue on alone as a hunter. Isshin simply frowned before turning to the hunching demon.

"All right.... take that off and introduce yourself," he requested.

".... Fine by me...." the demon finally spoke, his rumbling but rough voice rolled out as he slowly reached up to pull away his hood.

As soon as he had done that, Ichigo blinked before a sense of slow-motion washed over her, as her chocolate-brown eyes widened in absolute shock and her jaw dropped with a gasp. No....! This couldn't be right....! It was all coming back to her, it all made sense now....!

The demon before her.... he appeared as a human man in his mid-twenties, his face set tightly with an uncomfortable frown and taut jaw muscles. His cyan eyes, accented with sharp turquiose markings, were narrowed with tensed eyebrows, but they were obviously giving off an animalistic glow as he exhaled deeply. His sky blue hair were smudged with dirt, with much of the long strands matted over his shoulders from neglected care. He stared at Ichigo, who appeared mortified at the sight of him, before glancing away. He himself appeared that he didn't want to be here, but the eccentric hunter beside him nudged him forward and he reluctantly complied.

".... He.... he looks familiar, somehow," Karin spoke up, looking at the demon with a scrutinizing gaze.

"That's right, Karin....!" smiled Kisuke. "You two were much too young to remember, but I suppose you know who he is, right?"

"We knew him one time? When....?"

"Well--"

"You guys went this far.... just to get him here?" Ichigo managed to speak out, her expression went from initial shock to a mixture of disbelief and anger. "Why is he here, when he was the one who--"

"Ichigo...." Isshin frowned at her. But Ichigo glared at her father, then at the demon. The monster was strong yet he appeared weak with his awkward stance and grim frown. He deserved to look like that, after everything that had happened years ago. Since the death of her mother.

"Why on earth are you even here.... Grimmjow?" she scowled angrily. The blue-haired demon stiffened at the way she spat out his name but that was expected as he glanced at her.

"It's like they said.... I'm to be your partner, Ichigo," he muttered in his gruff voice.

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So that was it.... seven years of living in solitude had abruptly led up to this, being glared down by a human girl of all people. But Grimmjow didn't have a choice in the matter. It was his idea that he should keep limited contact with Kisuke, since he really was a powerful demon and something like that couldn't be ignored by the hunters' society.

But the seven years of forgoing human living had made him a tad inept to today's world, even though those seven years could be like seconds to him with his lifespan. Then again, it was hard to tell when he was traveling through the most secluded parts of Japan, either as a 'hitchhiker' to the humans he would come across or as his true form during the night. But it didn't change the fact that he often thought about his family.

It wasn't his true family, however.... but it felt like he was a part of it, ever since he was partners with one hunter almost twenty years ago. She was different than most hunters he had come across; unlike them, when they first met he didn't sense her willingness to kill him. Instead, she offered him her help even though he was initially stubborn. But in the long run, he was glad to be by her side even when his partner married another hunter and had children.

But it all changed.... when his human partner found out about her oldest child's abnormal development barely a few months into motherhood. He wanted to help her every way he can, in order to protect her and her family, and he did.... agreeing to a deal that he might regret. And he was regretting it right now, with the glare burning at him by his assigned partner. ".... I'm your partner now, Ichigo, on the request of your father," he muttered, his rumbling voice flowed out as he stared at her.

"...." Ichigo said nothing, her face wretched with a disgusted frown as she stared at the demon before her. He was far different than the same one she had remembered years before. Like Karin had mentioned, he appeared homeless with his grey sweatshirt stained with dirt and old blood. It was like he hadn't showered in years. But she could see a small duffel bag strapped behind him, before Grimmjow moved to take it off.

".... Ichigo, you remember Grimmjow," stated Kisuke, his expression sober when he watched Ichigo's reaction. "Seven years had passed.... but I see that Grimmjow himself hasn't changed much, aside from his current situation."

"Um, do we know him, Kisuke? I don't think I remember," frowned Yuzu, staring at Grimmjow.

"Of course, you were bit too young to remember Grimmjow," nodded Kisuke. "He left just before you girls turned four.... but this is a surprise for everybody here, especially for Ichigo."

"....." Again, Ichigo stood silent, her glowering being ignored as he father turned to Grimmjow.

"Sorry that this is a short notice.... Until we can figure it out, I hope you don't mind sleeping on the couch for a while," sighed Isshin.

".... It's all right, I don't mind at all," grunted Grimmjow. Realizing what he had just said, Ichigo bristled as the blue-haired demon knelt down to take off his boots

"Staying, he's staying here....?" she scoffed. "But--"

"Ichigo, a word. In my office...." Isshin frowned at her. Ichigo could only stare at him but this was out of her hands, as she huffed and left for the clinic. She heard something about the demon cleaning up but she could care less about it, storming into the doctor's office.

She really couldn't believe it.... Grimmjow, he was back in her life when she didn't want to see that monster ever again. Why her father was okay with this? He already knew that Grimmjow was the cause of her mother's death, and yet brought him here anyway....? It felt like betrayal, when she saw her father stepping in. ".... Ichigo--" Isshin muttered.

"Why the fuck is he here, Dad....?!" she scowled, her rant was concealed by the closed door. "I thought he went away for good but now, but he's there-- looking like a stupid bum Kisuke picked up from a shelter! Why do you want him here, Dad, after everything that had happened....?!"

"It's because of everything that had happened that Grimmjow is here, Ichigo," frowned Isshin, and Ichigo looked at him in confusion.

"What....?"

"There's no reason to have Grimmjow away for so long, when he had helped this family for years," he said. "In fact, he had worked with your mother long before she met me. He's an important part of this family, Ichigo, that's why he's going to be your partner."

"But....! If he's that important, then why did he let Mom die on that day?" she scoffed angrily. "He was her partner, her trusted ally even if he was a demon and yet.... he's the wrong one!"

"Just calm down--"

"If he didn't do anything wrong, then why didn't he even attend her funeral?" she scoffed. "Face it, Dad, you're making a bad decision here and I won't take him as a partner. I'd rather be a regular teen than a hunter if you're forcing me into this....!"

".... This is what your mother wanted, Ichigo," he said. "She said that when you come of age, Grimmjow would become your partner. But.... if you think you can stay as a hunter without fulfilling your mother's last wishes, then be my guest." That last comment flinched Ichigo out of her anger. This was what he mother wanted for her, regardless of everything had happened....?

"If you try to guilt-trip me into accepting this, I still won't do it," scoffed Ichigo.

"Then I guess Kisuke is right.... you're nothing but a petty little child with a tantrum," Isshin frowned, turning to open the door. "But it won't change the fact that Grimmjow is staying. Until you get used to it, he's not going away...." He left, leaving Ichigo alone as the teen frowned grimly. She knew that her mother wasn't the type to hold hatred and grudges, so to have her final wishes to establish a partnership with Grimmjow after her death....

Ichigo scoffed. Her mother would be disappointed by her attitude but she still was wary of the current situation. How could she work with someone who wasn't there to prevent her mother's death....? After a moment of standing there, she reluctantly moved to leave the office. Passing trough the kitchen, she saw Kisuke calmly sipping tea by the counter. They caught eye contact, but Ichigo glared away while her mentor simply chuckled.

"Have your conversation with your father go over well, Ichigo?" he asked.

"No. If he thinks I could just accept this crap, he could just forget it," huffed Ichigo. "Why can't Grimmjow live with you then, since you were the one who find him in the first place?"

"There's no space in my little shop," Kisuke smiled lightly.

"What about the basement-slash-training ground?" she questioned.

"Nobody could live in a training ground," he sighed. "Ichigo.... this will be a difficult time for you, I know that. But you have to get used to it. Grimmjow won't leave here, whether you like it or not."

"But I--" Ichigo frowned, but she suddenly heard a very faint sound of running water. "Where's Grimmjow....?" she asked.

"In the shower, he had been up there for a very long time," remarked Kisuke. "Seven years of living in the forest can do so much but I don't blame him."

"Tch.... I can't believe this...." frowned Ichigo, leaving the kitchen.

"Come on, Ichigo. This is for the best," he called out. But Ichigo ignored him, making her way upstairs. She could see slivers of steam leaking out of the closed bathroom door, at the end of the short hallway. She could just wait for him to finish so she could confront him, now that she was alone.

She had to do this, for the reason that he was the one who failed her family all those years ago. But before she could take another step, she heard the sound of running water cutting off completely. She frowned, maybe she would have to do it now but it wasn't mean to be, when her little sister suddenly sprinted past her with a bundle of folded towels.

"Here you go, Mister Grimmjow! I've already washed these moments ago!" Yuzu piped, managing to knock on the door.

".... Thank you so much...." Grimmjow muttered, before the door slightly opened and a large hand shot out for the towels. "Sorry for the trouble...."

"No problem at all!" nodded Yuzu as the door closed. Ichigo merely frowned, but she couldn't blame her. Yuzu was too naive for her good. "Oh, Ichigo, are you okay....?" she asked when she noticed her standing there.

"Yeah.... I just wanted to speak to Grimmjow, that's all," sighed Ichigo.

"Oh, okay then," nodded her sister. "Gee, Grimmjow doesn't look like a demon at all. He looks like any normal person...."

"Easy for you to say, Yuzu...." she muttered, but Yuzu didn't hear that when she went back downstairs. She was alone again, as she walked up to the bathroom. It was obvious that Grimmjow could hear her movements with his sharp hearing, because moments later the door opened once again. But it opened fully, revealing a half-naked man clad only with a towel around his waist.

At first, Ichigo only saw were chiseled abs and chest, with tiny beads of water rolling down the slightly flushed skin. "Ah....!" Ichigo took a step back, out of reflex, before staring at Grimmjow in the face. The demon, ignoring the water dripping from his shoulder-length hair, stared back. But he frowned awkwardly, waiting for the silence to break.

".... Excuse me...." he mumbled, attempted to walk around her.

"Just.... wait a minute," Ichigo spoke up. Grimmjow frowned but looked at her, trying hard to ignore her hard glare as he shifted around. ".... Why did you come back here, Grimmjow....?" she questioned lowly, and the demon flinched at her biting tone. "You honestly think I want you here after all these years? That I would be happy to see you because you're supposed to be my partner?"

".... This is your father's idea--" he muttered.

"I don't care.... I just don't have to be your partner, Grimmjow," scoffed Ichigo. "I can be very, very stubborn. You won't last a week until you give up this silly agreement."

".... I've lasted seven years without you and your family, I can handle a week," Grimmjow said quietly. Ichigo blinked at that but that only made her even more irritated as she scowled.

"Just.... get out of my sight," she huffed, moving past him for her bedroom. Grimmjow didn't move to see her slamming the door, but the sound of it hurt his ears harder than it should.

".... My oh my, that was a good first impression there, Grimmjow." The demon glanced up to see Kisuke coming up the stairs, holding some folded clothes in his arms. "Don't worry about it.... she'll come around sooner or later," he sighed. Grimmjow simply frowned, finally looking at the teen's closed door with a little badge hanging.

"Fifteen...." he murmured, looking at the number on the badge.

"Going on sixteen, her birthday's in the summer, remember?" he said. Grimmjow could only frown before glancing back at the eccentric hunter. "Like I said, you don't have to worry about it, Grimmjow," said Kisuke. "This was going to happen sooner or later anyway."

".... But you didn't tell her about the agreement, though," he muttered. "If she had known about it already--"

"No, let's wait until she gets used to you, Grimmjow," Kisuke advised. "If she had known beforehand, then she would do anything to go against it."

"She's already against me being here, so what difference does it make?" Grimmjow grumbled, but the hunter walked up to him.

"The difference.... is that you have to be with her than just as a partner," he replied, and the demon sighed deeply. "Anyway.... Isshin was kind enough to lend you some clothes. Considering that your old ones are, well, unmanageable."

"Fine.... but I'm not wearing this," Grimmjow sighed as he picked a pair of pajama pants, only to grimace slightly that it was pink-colored and printed with hearts. "This is why I can't deal with you humans...."

"Oh, come on, these are Isshin's favorites--" grinned Kisuke.

"Let him wear it, I'd rather sleep in my underwear." All the while, Ichigo was in her bed, her face buried into her pillow as a barrage of thoughts went through her mind. So she had to deal with this ordeal. Grimmjow won't leave, even if she agrees to the partnership. She huffed as she glanced up, staring out the window that was next to her bed.

Grimmjow.... Seven years passed and the demon hadn't physical changed or even aged. He had looked the same as before, though his hair had grown significantly. But it didn't matter to her. To see a seemingly powerful demon being reproachful and guilty at the doorstep didn't make up for what he had done to her and the family. If she has to take up with Grimmjow living here then so be it. But she won't like it, there was no way she wanted this even if her mother's final wishes.

"As if.... I'll have that monster be my damn partner," she muttered bitterly.

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Contract	By : NeemaAdaeze Category: Bleach > Het - Male/Female Views: 10965 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, nor make money from it

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