Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Kinky Kitty ❯ Chapter 1

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Kinky Kitty
Author: Dagger Stiletto
Pairings: Mentions of RenjiIchi; IchigoxIshida; RenjixRukia
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.
Dagger: This will be my second installment of the “Halfling” series. I have decided that the concept of my favorite manga/anime characters being half-human, half-animal should continue, only some stories shall not be multi-chapter like Primitive Instincts. I am planning for this one to be a oneshot. We’ll see when happens.
Knives: What if your house gets hit by a nuclear bomb?
Dagger: Why would any one militia of any country specifically bomb my house?
Sexy Man-Beast: Maybe they closed their eyes and randomly picked out an address in the phone book, and they landed on you!
Cross: And they had to check three times to see if it was right, but they kept picking you. *turns back around* Sorry. I want two X-large No make that three X-large meat lovers. *turns back to other people in the room* You want anything, Dagger?
Dagger: Pepperoni, stuffed crust, with sausage. Order two packs of Coke, too.
Sexy Man-Beast: Coke? I didn’t know you did drugs….
Knives: *whacks him upside the head*
Cross: *repeats it to guy on the phone* You’re sending it to Dagger Stiletto’s. No, this isn’t the nuthouse!….Though there is a nut here. Make that two nuts. Well, if your delivery guy is scared, I’ll come to the front and meet them! That mans needs to grow a set of balls on him!
Dagger: Tell them not to send the man who smells like steak all the time. My tiger Shegra tried to eat him last time he came ’round.
Knives: O.O….I know exactly how he feels….
Cross: *nods and asks angrily* I don’t give a rat’s ass! Just get them here! *slams the phone down* I’ll be on the porch if you need me *walks out*
Sexy Man-Beast: Watch out for the evil ninja flying squirrels!!
Dagger: Does she even have money?
Knives: Nope. She’s gonna jack the pizza guy and feed him to Shegra so no one knows.
*faint screaming from a man outside*
Cross: YOU DUMBASS!!! THOSE ARE VEGGIE PIZZAS!!! NOT MEAT LOVERS!!!!!!!!!!!
SMB: *grabs weapons* Kill ’im!!
*tiger roar*
Dagger: I think Shegra beat you to it.
Cross: SMB!! Get me a sledgehammer!
SMB: I can’t find it!
Dagger: Here’s a jackhammer. And the chainsaw’s in the garage.
Knives: Why do we have a jackhammer?
*sound of chainsaw*
Cross: MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Dagger: *walks outside* Cross, do we have to take you to the loony bin again?
Cross: No. I’m just pissed at pizza guy.
Danny-boy: *walks up with the REAL pizzas* Um, what’s going on?
Cross: Um…. Who ordered veggie pizza? *Looks over and watches blinds shut at the neighbors window* It was them!
Dagger: Which means you killed the wrong pizza guy.
*10 Minutes Later*
Knives: What were we talking about? You know, before the pizza.
Dagger: Nuclear bombs.
Cross: No sign of them yet.
Dagger: Well if it was a nuclear bomb, then everyone in the vicinity would die, and I would be unable to write anything anymore.
Cross: But we love your stories! Except for Knives. He’s annoying.
Knives: *throws pizza at her head*
SMB: That was a shameful waste of food. :-(
Cross: You owe me $20!
Dagger: He’s broke.
Knives: What would you do if you were the last living person on Earth? *not paying attention*
Dagger: I wouldn’t have to put up with your annoying ass anymore that’s for sure. All of you.
Cross: *slaps an application for a job in Knive’s face*
Knives: AGHHHHHH!!!! I’m allergic to paper!!
Cross: ….That’s a bunch of bullshit.
Dagger: Everyone better shut up and be quiet. I’m gonna start the story now.

It was raining again. When would it end? It was a tragedy for Karakura to be drowned in eight straight days of a nonstop, harsh downpour of cold precipitation. It was a wonder that the river hadn’t flooded over yet. Everything was being washed by a pounding sheet of gray. It was friggin’ depressing.

Kurosaki Ichigo pulled his jacket hood further over his head, hunching his shoulders unconsciously for further protection as he walked down the block from the restaurant he worked at as a waiter and occasional receptionist. He hated the rain. He absolutely hated it and the emotions it brought, the misery it made people feel.

He growled as a car drove past and splashed water all over his still-dry pants. He flipped them the bird and continued on his way until he heard a miserable, feline cry. He stopped and saw a soaked black cat limping heavily, trying to get up onto the sidewalk despite his right injured forepaw. The neko fell and wasn’t able to pull itself out of the deep and ever-growing puddle of water.

Ichigo crouched and gently picked the struggling neko up and out of the water. He vaguely caught sight of a makeshift collar before stuffing the bedraggled animal inside his waterproof jacket. The cat curled against him, and he absently realized the cat had been declawed.

He took the cat four blocks away from the restaurant and up five levels of the apartment building to his place. Once in his apartment, he took off his soaked shoes and socks then, stripped off his jacket, cradling the cat against his chest as he went to his bathroom. He set the injured neko in the sink before stripping to his boxers. He gently washed the neko of the dirty rain and street water, and the cat was amazingly behaved through the whole thing.

Maybe he’s a Halfling, he thought absently as he dried him off. He examined the paw and wrapped it in an ace bandage. Then he dried his arms and pulled on a pair of pajama pants. He carried the cat to set him on the counter of his kitchen and started to fix leftover food. He noticed the collar on the cat’s neck once more and reached for it curiously.

He frowned at the easily-breakable yarn and the tube that he managed to remove. The neko watched him as he pulled a small piece of paper rolled into the tube and unfurled it. There was a message written in feminine handwriting:

“His name is Ishida Uryuu. He is a Halfling. I am unable to care for him any longer. I
ask that you treat him kindly and cherish him. It will be hard to gain his trust, but once
you do, he will forever be loyal. Sincerely, Lady Inoue. PS: He likes to sew and chicken.”

Ichigo blinked, then tossed the items away. He looked to the cat, who stared at him with deep blue eyes. “Well, Uryuu, looks like we’ll be together for a while unless I find a more suitable owner. I’ve never really had a pet before.” He cautiously reached to pat the neko’s head very lightly before retrieving a plate of chicken.

The cat’s ears perked, and Ishida tilted is head to the side. Ichigo picked small slivers off from the larger portion and put it in a small pile on a saucer. Then he placed the food in front of the cat and ate his own food. Afterwards, he placed the plates in the sink to clean later.

He picked Ishida up and set him on the floor, striding into the living room to watch TV just for the news. He headed to bed, leaving the door open so that Ishida could come and go if he so desired.

~*~~*~*~*~~*~
The next day, Ichigo went through his normal morning ritual; shower, dry off, dress, brush his hair even though it won’t tame the wild, strawberry-blonde mop, fix and eat breakfast, and brush his teeth. The only deviation was his feeding the Halfling and setting out some water in a bowl while making sure Ishida knew that there was food in the refrigerator. He sat and watched TV a while, paid his bills and his rent, and then slipped on his shoes and coat.

“I’m going out for a little bit, Uryuu,” he said. “It’s Sunday, which means I’m off work. I won’t be out long. In the meantime, please don’t ruin anything. Be careful of your leg.” He reached to pat the cat’s head, but it glared and moved away swiftly.

Hiding a glimmer of hurt, Ichigo nodded and walked out of the door.

~*~~*~*~*~~*~
After the obnoxiously-bright-headed excuse for a master left, Uryuu Ishida proceeded to explore every nook and cranny of his new “home.” He wasn’t pleased that he had been set our of his own to search for a new master; he had been quite happy with what he had. He was also unhappy that he had had been found by such an unruly, uninteresting, lowly boy in his early twenties.

He had to give credit though…. He did know how to keep his house clean. As he ran all over the apartment, he found it as clean as it could possibly be, as well as almost OCD orderly and organized. He wondered if it was natural for this boy to act so, or if it had been beaten into him.

Unconcerned, Ishida occupied himself with the rest of this half-hearted exploring, catnapping, and surfing the channels on TV, occasionally stopping to watch some random show or another. It was rather boring, and he wished his new master had given him a task to do while he was alone.

That boredom ended when his master came home three-and-a-half hours after he’d left. He had two other people with him. One was a moderately attractive woman with blue-black hair that was shoulder-length and blue eyes that dominated her pale face. The other was a man the same height as Ichigo, his hair blood-red, long, and in a pony-tail, eyes dark. They helped the strawberry with whatever he bought, laughing at whatever joke the redhead had made.

Then the two sat while Ichigo started setting up an automatic cat box with scoop able, anti-odor litter, a small jungle gym with a cylinder structure in which he placed a soft, down-filled bed, and a scratching post.

Baka, Ishida thought resentfully. What does he need a scratching post for with a declawed cat?

“Rukia, do you mind healing Uryuu? He injured his leg, and I also don’t want him to remain declawed,” Ichigo said as he started putting away his other purchases.

Ishida’s eyes widened as he heard the last. Is he serious? He wanted to turn human and kiss him right then, but the notion was interrupted with the next words of the redhead.

“Uryuu? What kind of name is that?”

Ishida growled, narrowing his eyes angrily at the redhead even as the female came over to perform the amazing and very rare act of healing.

“He had the name when I rescued him, Renji-kun,” Ichigo replied calmly. “I think it suits him. Neko are very intelligent.”

“What’s his full name?” Rukia asked.

“Ishida Uryuu.”

“Call him Ishida. That way you can call him Da-da for short,” Renji said jokingly.

Rukia giggled agreeably.

I hate you both, Ishida thought. They made his fur bristle. He had a good sense of a person’s character, and there was something he didn’t like about either of them.

“Not everyone needs a nickname, Renji,” Ichigo replied.

“Aww, c’mon, Ichi, I’m just playin’.”

Instead of answering, Ichigo crouched in front of Ishida where he was perched on the windowsill. He clipped on ornate blue collar with a diamond-shaped, light blue information tag. “Don’t worry, it’ll expand if you ever decide you want to change human.” He didn’t try to pet him this time, as though afraid he would be rejected again.

“What are you gonna do about him when you go to work?” Rukia asked.

Ichigo stood and went to another bag, pulling out a newly-bought sewing kit.

“What the hell’s that for?” Renji snapped contemptuously. “You turning into a pansy?”

“No,” Ichigo said, glaring heatedly with his angry chocolate-brown eyes. “Uryuu’s note said he liked to sew. I want him to feel comfortable while he’s here, so I bought him a sewing kit so that he can do something he likes.”

This surprised Ishida even more. Maybe the strawberry wasn’t so bad after all….

“Ahhh, so the cat’s the pansy,” Renji responded. “I get it now.”

But his friends would have to go. He bared a pearly fang with a silent hiss at the redhead.

“Shut up, Renji! You’re pissing me off.” Ichigo set the sewing kit on the counter dividing kitchen from living room. “It’s you who’s the pansy anyhow,” he muttered as he set about placing cans of tuna and sardines in the cabinets.

“And how do you figure that?”

“Always worried about whether your hair is clean or not, if it looks okay. You spend more time playing with it than Rukia does her own. “

“Whereas yours looks like you haven’t taken a brush to it in five months,” Renji countered heatedly. “The least you could do is take some pride in your appearance. God, you’re such a slob. When was the last time you clean this place? It smells horrible.”

What a fucking liar, Ishida thought angrily.

“Maybe I should leave….” Rukia said, and she walked out, a small sway to her hips.

Ichigo was frozen where he stood. There was an uncomfortable silence before Renji sighed and stood, walking over to the other. Ishida watched with narrowed gaze, tensing his body. Renji wrapped his arms around Ichigo’s waist, nuzzling his neck.

“Awww, c’mon, Ichi, you know I love you,” Renji murmured huskily.

Yeah, that’s apparent.

“Go away, Renji,” Ichigo said. “I’m mad at you.”

“Aww, baby”

“Get off!”

When Renji continued to molest the strawberry, Ishida had enough. He sprang from windowsill to shoulder, yowling madly as he latched in with newly-grown claws and sharp teeth. Renji wrenched away and screamed, tearing him off and throwing him. Ichigo quickly caught the neko, hissing as claws dug into his flush.

“That cat is a menace!” the redhead shrieked furiously. “You should have the bastard put down!”

“He’s a Halfling, and he was protecting me from someone he perceived to be an enemy,” Ichigo retorted. “I will not put him down when he was protecting his master.”

“Whatever, man, I gotta go. I have work.” With that, the redhead grabbed his coat from the back of the couch and stomped out, slamming the door behind him.

~*~~*~*~*~~*~
During the next few weeks, the two of them built up a new routine. They would get up in the mornings, get ready, eat breakfast, and Ichigo took Ishida to work everyday; Halflings didn’t shed, so they were permitted to be in restaurants in human and animal form. Sometimes Ishida would ride on Ichigo’s shoulder, attracting attention and making the strawberry appear more approachable with his cuteness. Other ties, he would carry the menus to the awaiting customers and wait beside them so Ichigo knew who needed to care for next after he was done with whatever first.

All the while, Ishida remained in neko form, aloof, and antisocial.

But all that changed during the fifth week since they’d first met.

Not feeling well, Ishida refused to go to work with Ichigo. He wouldn’t let the strawberry touch him, even so much as to scratch him to keep him from touching. He flet his heart strangely clench when he saw the hurt in the chocolatey orbs. Ichigo’s entire demeanor suggested that he’d been extremely pained at his pet’s rejection.

It was even worse when Ichigo came home.

He’d had a tougher-than-usual day, and he got reprimanded by his boss for accidentally tripping and spilling water in the lap of Hitsugaya Toshiro, a wealthy customer of theirs. He sat down on the couch without taking off his shoes, which was very unusual.

Ishida stared at his owner from his favorite place on the windowsill. He studied his weary features, which were attractive even with the weariness. Even his hair looked too exhausted to maintain his natural hairstyle. Guilt made the neko’s ears droop slightly.

Then the phone rang. Ichigo groaned and barely moved his feet before giving up on moving completely. Ishida dropped to the floor and fetched the wireless phone from the charger in the kitchen. He brought it over and dropped it into Ichigo’s lap.

“Thanks, Ishida,” he murmured before answered on the fourth ring. “Hello?”

The neko moved to the other side of the couch and began grooming himself.

“Hey, baby, how are you?” Ichigo asked, the tiredness evident in his voice. His eyes were closed as he sprawled carelessly and tipped his head against the back of the couch.

Oh great, Asshole-Loverboy, Ishida thought scathingly, eyes narrowing, hair bristling slightly.

“Oh, I had a hard day at work, I’m a little tired. Are you coming over tonight?” He sounded a tad bit hopeful.

Dear Kami, please say no. Ishida did not want to be around that dick this night.

“Oh, why not?” There was a pause. “What do you want to talk about?” He sounded concerned.

Ishida flinched when the strawberry shot straight up, all weariness having seemingly disappeared.

“What?! What the fuck are talking about?”

The neko Halfling perked up attentively, wondering what had made his master cuss so profanely. He watched the strawberry closely.

“Are you serious?” Pause. “But I’ve done everything for you! I even bottomed for you even though I don’t enjoy it. Why are you doing this? Did I do something to anger you?” He listened to Renji’s reply, hand coming up to cup his forehead in distress. “Then why are you breaking up with me after so long? We’ve been together for two years. You’ve never given any indication that you were unhappy.”

Ishida felt a sense of foreboding. Something catastrophic was about to be done or said, and he didn’t know if he wanted to be around for it…. But his master was being immeasurably hurt, and if there was anything he could do, he would do it, if only to comfort the strawberry.

“No….” Ichigo whispered, the immense pain in his voice sending spikes of unease through the cat. “No…. No, no, no, no, no! Renji, please tell me you’re lying. Please! You have to be!” He waited for the response, his free hand trembling over his mouth. “You bastard!!!” He hurled the phone at the wall, and it smashed into eight different pieces and fell to the floor with a loud clatter.

Ishida watched wide-eyed as the previously exhausted man surged to his feet, screaming as he flipped his coffee table over, the legs breaking. He roared, not in anger but in anguish. Agony was etched into every facial feature. He slammed his foot into the wall, then burst into his bathroom. Shattering glass shouted through the otherwise silent apartment, and the neko Halfling hid under the couch for protection; he cringed at the sound of pain coming from the bathroom and heartrending sobs of despair.

He only came out when he heard the sound of a shower filled the silence, drowning out his master’s weeping. He peeked in the bathroom to see shattered mirror pieces all over the floor, blood staining the tiles, and a huddled form sitting on the floor of the shower through the distorted glass of the stall’s door. Slight movement from said form suggested that he had was convulsively rocking himself as he cried.

Sorrow for the other man made the neko’s heart clench. He crept out and climbed into his bed that Ichigo had set up in the jungle gym. He dozed lightly, awaking when he heard the sniffling strawberry fall into bed.

Ishida got out of his bed and slowly entered his master’s bedroom, which he had rarely gone into during the month-and-a-week he’d known the man. He looked about cautiously until he saw Ichigo curled atop the comforter, staring blankly at the wall to the cat’s right. He went forward and hopped onto the foot of the bed. The neko carefully crawled to the head, curling up half a foot away from the strawberry head. After a moment, he mewed quietly, hoping to get his master’s attention; the other hand, he noticed, was wrapped in bloodstained gauze.

Perhaps ten seconds later, as though his brain had a hard time processing information, the bloodshot eyes moved to the black neko. The usually warm, milk chocolate pools had darkened to a nearly black color, churning like turbulent seas. Misery emanated from him in waves, and the smell of it was stifling.

But Ishida stayed where he was, determined to be near his master in his time of need. He stretched his paw, claws carefully and safely sheathed, to place it softly over the hand that lay on the pillow an inch away from the grief-stricken face. He mewed questioningly, trying to convey his concern.

A snort passed over as a breathless laugh. “You’re such a good kitty,” he whispered, lifting that hand hesitantly to touch Ishida’s head. The neko allowed the touch just to see the faintest of smiles cross his owner’s face. “I hope you come to trust me soon because I really need someone to love me now.” He choked brokenly. “He threw me away like trash so he could be with Rukia. She was my best friend! How could she do that to me? He was the only one who’d ever wanted me. She knew that he was my everything. Now I don’t have either of them….”

Tears spilled over again, only slower and less intense than before. “You’re all I have now, Ishida,” he whispered.

Ishida’s eyes widened with that realization. He was the only one Ichigo could ever come to now. The fragile ties he’d made with the two people who’d ever made him feel loved and appreciated had been brutally severed. They had betrayed him, just as Lady Inoue had done to Ishida, only she had no choice in the matter. Renji and Rukia, on the other hand, could have chosen differently. And even if they hadn’t, they still had the ability to ease the strawberry they had professed to love into the transition better than they actually did.

Their method had been brutal and crippling, and now Uryuu Ishida was determined to pick up as many pieces of his master’s demolished heart, nurture them, soothe them, and love them until they were once more part of a whole.

Wait, “love”?

Yes. “Love.”

Why hadn’t he realized before now? Why hadn’t he known that he was in love with his master? He had long since determined that the strawberry was quite attractivegorgeous evenand the quirks he had found so irritating the first few days had become endearing by the end of the first week. He enjoyed the food he made or brought in from work, appreciated the close attention he gave to the neko’s needs, and was grateful for all the things Ichigo gifted him with.

When had he fallen? Did it matter?

….No, it didn’t.

All that mattered right now was that Ichigo needed to feel that someone cared, and Ishida was that someone.

The neko crawled over and curled against the man’s neck, tucking himself under the quivering chin. He nuzzled the clean flesh and made purring and mewling noises meant to comfort. He didn’t mind when Ichigo wrapped his arms around him; he didn’t even protest when his fur became damp with tears. He just lay there, soaking in the emotions and comforting the broken man until they finally fell asleep together.

~*~~*~*~*~~*~
When Ishida woke, he found Ichigo clumsily trying to sew the cuts he’d gotten from breaking the mirror last night. Ishida lazily yawned and stretched his feline body. He padded over to his master and used the excess threadwhy he had medical thread, he would never knowto tug the needle out of the strawberry’s trembling fingers.

“Oh…. Ohayo, Uryuu,” Ichigo rasped. It seemed that his voice was hoarse from crying and screaming last night. “I called off from work for a few days, so I won’t be leaving today.”

The neko mewed in acknowledgment and kept the man from retaking the needle and thread. He gave a kitty smirk when Ichigo looked at him questioningly.

He felt the magic wash over him as he shifted forms. His body stretched and reshaped itself until he was a pale, black-haired, blue-eyed, slender human several inches shorter than his master. He was dressed only in oversized cargo shorts, from which he pulled delicate specs and places on his nose. Unlike other Halflings, he had cute, black neko ears atop his head instead of human ears, and a black neko tail stretched from the base of his agile spine.

He stared through his glasses with large blue pools, waiting for his master’s reaction, anxious that he wouldn’t like what he saw. Normally, he wouldn’t mind what a human thought of his human body, but it was different when facing his love for the first time. The fear of rejection was undeniable.

After around five minutes of scrutiny, a small smile tilted the corners of Ichigo’s lips. “Does this mean you trust me?” he inquired.

Ishida nodded his head. “Do you like what you see, master? Is this form okay?” he asked, his voice slightly quavering.

“I don’t judge people by their appearances, Uryuu,” Ichigo replied. “Someone’s character is more important to me than what they look like….”

Ishida cringed, ears drooping, when the statement trailed off. He lowered his eyes.

“But yes,” the strawberry continued. “I very much like what I see.”

The neko perked up instantly. He smiled, not able to remember the last time he had done so. Then he reclaimed possession of the needle and thread. He touched the injured arm. “May I?”

Ichigo paused and nodded. He bit his lip while Ishida proceeded to carefully sew the five gashes that were no longer than five inches, yet no shorter than two. It took only thirty stitches to care for all of themIshida had estimated forty-five to fifty. He wound a fresh gauze-wrap around the sewn lacerations before putting the supplies away.

“Thank you, Uryuu.”

Ishida turned back to the strawberry. “Y-you can call me Ishida, master,” he murmured, shyly tucking his hair behind an ear. “I won’t mind.”

Ichigo smirked. “You’re real cute, Ishida.” He rubbed the furry black ears affectionately. “Now that I don’t have the red-haired bastard telling me what I can and can’t do, I’m gonna used the computers at the library and look up some colleges I could possibly go to. I can upgrade from waiter to cook, or I could be manager. What do ya think, Ishida?”

That was another thing he liked about Ichigo; he asked what his opinion was, even if he didn’t have one. Lady Inoue only used him as a pet or trophy. Ichigo gave him a reason to exist other tan to just look pretty or entertain company. He felt like he was worth more.

“If you became a cook, I couldn’t help you as much at work as I do now, and I wouldn’t be around you as much,” he told the other, leaning into the touches on his sensitive ears, resisting the urge to purr.

“You like to help and be around me?”

He nodded to both accounts, blushing lightly. He was pleased that his answer made his master smile. He played idly with his collar.

“Well, I’ll think about going into a profession where you can help out. Do me a favor and clean the glass in the bathroom while I get dressed, all right?”

Ishida nodded and scurried to do as he was bade. On his way, he noticed the table and wall had been fixed, and the broken pieces of the phone were gone. When he was finished, sure that all the shards of glass was in the trash bin, he came to find Ichigo pulling on his shoes and putting his wallet and car keys on a chain and in his pocket. Ishida hesitated, not sure if he was allowed to accompany his master to the library. Lady Inoue had never let him go anywhere with her except social events.

“Something wrong, Ishida?” Ichigo queried, catching sight of his hesitancy.

“Am I allowed to come with you, master?” he asked tentatively, nervous at the concept of rejection.

And just like that, he suddenly knew at least a little of what Ichigo went through each time Ishida had refused food, touch , or some small gift he felt the desire to five the Halfling. The emotion of not being accepted, of being denied the feeling of belonging, was a hard thing to cope with.

How often had his master been forced to endure this very emotion? How long? How many people had made him feel small and insignificant?

And how many people would Ishida be able to punish for their transgressions in honor of his master?

“Do you want to come?” Ichigo inquired.

The neko nodded his head vigorously.

Ichigo studied him, then smiled. “All right then. If you go in that form, you’ll have to be put on a leash. I don’t want anyone thinking that you’re unclaimed.”

“I do not understand.”

“Have you never been taken out among other?”

The neko Halfling shook his head in the negative.

“Well, in my world, Halflings are very much desired by all,” Ichigo explained. “They are treasured by their masters, coveted, and very well taken care of. They are so….desirable….that they are often abducted by those who are desperate for their own but cannot afford to buy them properly. Purebredssuch as yourselfare the most valuable and expensive of your kind, and it means that you would be sought after more than others.”

“And because of this, I would have to be put on a leash to reduce the risk of my getting abducted,” Ishida concluded.

Ichigo nodded as he went toward the closet that contained his coats and other shoes. “I have become extremelyfondof you, and it would sadden me immensely if I were to lose you.”

“She was my best friend….”

“He was my everything….”

“Now I don’t have either of them….”

“You’re all I have now, Ishida….”

Ishida felt warmth spread through him. He felt loved, even though all Ichigo had said was that he was “extremely fond” of him. He could work with that. He could make that “fondness” grown into “affection,” and hopefully, eventually….love.

“I–I feel the same way,” Ishida confessed tremulously. “I–I would not want to lose another dear master.”

Ichigo smiled. It was the most brilliantthough not his besthe’d expressed since his most recent and still fresh betrayal. Ishida delighted in his having pleased his master, which seemed to be quite an easy task if the past five weeks were any indication. He hoped that he would be able to continue these acts and keep his owner and secret love happy.

“Then what do you wish?” Ichigo asked. “Would you like to go as you are, or do you want to change to cat form before we leave?”

“I’m….I’m not sure,” Ishida replied. “Lady Inoue never took me outside. When she abandoned me, I was truly defenseless. I was declawed, and I had nowhere to go, and I had no idea of where I was. I would not have survived the week without you. I only know how to please my owner, and that is by doing what you tell me.” He paused, still a tad bit nervous. “So what would you wish me to do?”

Ichigo appeared to contemplate the answer to his pet’s query, then strode into his room. Ishida waited a moment, and the strawberry came back with a pair of jeans and a silver turtleneck that would have been too tight to fit his own body. “Put these on. I will get something for you to eat while you dress.” He pressed the clothing into Ishida’s hands. He seemed to hesitated before he cupped the back of Ishida’s head and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

Then he pulled away and strode by to the kitchen.

Ishida’s body tingled through and through from that one act, that single, simple touch. He was motionless for a long moment; then he stripped and dress in the clothing provided, which fit perfectly. The neck of the top, however, was such that could stretch to cover everything from lower eyelids down. This discovery brought with it the realization that the fabric was saturated in his master’s decadent scent.

The neko buried his face in the material, inhaling deeply before he quickly folded the neck down and waited Ichigo to return.

“The clothes look nice on you,” Ichigo commented, pleased. He handed over an English muffin with strawberry spread to the neko. “I knew keeping my old clothes would be useful in the long run. The only reason I can’t wear them is because I got fat.”

Ishida’s eyes widened, and he swallowed hard. “Master, you’re not fat!”

Ichigo laughed. “I’m glad you think so. There are others who would disagree.” He glanced down at Ishida’s feet. “You’ll have to wear flipflops for now. We’ll stop at the shoe department before we go to the library.”

Ishida quickly finished his muffin and slipped his feet into the flipflops. He tilted his head backwards as Ichigo clipped the leash that matched his collar to the loop on said collar. There was four feet of length from collar to where the leash wrapped around the strawberry’s wrist securely. With that, the two of them headed out the door.

~*~~*~Two Hours Later, At The Library~*~~*~
Ishida perched on the arm of his master’s chair, ears twitching alertly at every little noise and movement. He swung his feet, which had brand new gray-and-blue sneakers on them. He kept one eye on Ichigo’s borrowed computer’s screen, and the other eye took in everything that occurred in a library, a place he’d never been. So far, the only real places he’d been were the pet shop he was sold at, Lady Inoue’s home, the street gutter, his new home, the restaurant Ichigo worked at, a shoe store, and now here.

In his entire life of seventeen years, he’d been at a total of seven places, all in the same city.

Pretty pathetic, ne?

Ichigo affectionately stroked Ishida’s tail absently as he browsed the internet for nearby and inexpensive colleges he could attend for the next few years and finally get a more satisfying job than that of a waiter/receptionist. He was quite amused at Ishida’s adamant curiosity of everything around him, only slightly more sophisticated that a four-year-old child on his first vacation. Ishida permitted this amusement, willing to tolerate it for his master’s sake.

He also tolerated others’ stares, though he’d occasionally hiss and narrow his eyes at those who came too close to be comfortable.

“Ichigo-kun?” a familiar voice asked from behind. “What are you doing here?”

Ishida dropped down from his perch, hissing violently at Rukia. Her eyes widened as she recognized the collar around his neck.

Ichigo turned to her impassively. “This is a public library. I can come here if I want,” he told her coldly.

Her eyes widened at his tone. “Ichigo, what the matter with you? It’s me, Rukia. And who is the Halfling hissing at me?”

“It’s Ishida. He doesn’t like you much.”

Ishida growled in agreement, flexing his fingers.

The strawberry rapidly typed on the computer before turning to face the woman fully. “Is there something you need? Because I’m busy right now.”

“Why are you being so cold?”

“Because you and Renji no longer have any reason to be near or speak to me,” Ichigo replied in a sneer. He tugged gently on Ishida’s leash, and the neko obediently sat on one of his thighs.

“I don’t understand….”

“Honestly, Rukia, I thought you were smarter than that,” the strawberry sighed exasperatedly. “Renji dumped me last night because he’s in love with you, and he told me how you two ’ve been fucking each other’s brains out behind my back. I no longer have a cheating-bastard-boyfriend, and I sure as hell don’t need the so-called best friend he was fucking.” With that said, Ichigo turned in the office chair and clicked out of the internet browser.

Ishida was still turned slightly towards Rukia, so when she raised her hand to strike Ichigo with a stapler that had been stationed nearby, he was able to react appropriately. Letting loose a battle cry, he leapt forward, ignoring the jerk on his leash as he tackled the black-haired bitch to the floor. Claws sprang form his fingertips, and he used them to scratch her face and chest, making sure they were deep enough to scar at least a little. He cried out at the sharp pain that lanced up his arm as she shot three staples into it.

Ichigo brought Ishida away, cradling him lovingly as someone called for security. Rukia was arrested, as she had continued to attempt to hurt Ishida and Ichigo both. The staples were carefully extracted from the neko’s arm, and the Halfling shifted to his cat form so he could curl around his master’s neck as they went home.

~*~~*~*~*~~*~
Later that night, Ishida came in from his bath, a towel wrapped around his slip hips. Ichigo could see his pretty body out of the corner of his eye, watching as he came toward where he lay on his large bed. Ichigo was reading a book that he’d been working on for quite a whilemostly because it wasn’t Shakespearelegs stretched out in front of him, ankles crossed, back reclining against the pillows he’d piled high. He was dressed only in pajama bottoms.

The neko crawled onto the foot of the bed, hesitated, then continued on up to straddle Ichigo’s upper thighs. When the strawberry lowered his book, he saw that the Halfling kneeling over him appeared shy and flushed; he seemed unable to meet his master’s gaze.

“What’s the matter, pet?” Ichigo inquired with concern. He hoped his lovely little Halfling was all right.

“M-master….I…. I want….” He trailed off, blue orbs glancing off to the side as he gnawed on his lower lip, and his cute ears drooped slightly.

“You can tell me, Ishida,” Ichigo reassured. He set aside his book and rubbed gently at his pet’s left thigh in a gesture meant to comfort. “Whatever it is, we can work it out.”

What if he doesn’t want to stay? a panicked voice in the back of his mind said. What if he wants to leave like everyone else? What are we gonna do?!

Ichigo ignored the voice and focused on the matter at hand, more worried about Ishida than his inner anxieties.

His eyes widened as Ishida seemed to make up his mind and leaned forward. Soft, plump lips pressed tentatively against Ichigo’s, moving sensuously despite his hesitancy. Ichigo remained motionless for a moment, allowing the truth of this moment to sink in; then he took charge of the kiss fervently.

He brought his free hand up to twine in the hair at the back of the neko’s head, the other remaining on the slender thigh. He watched blue pools sink closed before his chocolate ones followed suit. He deepened their contact, pushing his tongue inside Ishida’s mouth to explore the warm, wet, sweet cavern of pleasurable heat, memorizing each and every space.

Their burning lungs demanded that they break the kiss, and they reluctantly pulled apart. Lust glazed their eyes as they stared at one another, and a flush colored pale and tanned skin alike. Saliva glistened on Ishida’s kiss-swollen lips, and tiny fangs peaked from the part they made.

“Ishida….” Ichigo sighed with pleasure, sinking back in his pillows.

“Is it okay, master?” Ishida inquired tremulously. “I don’t want to d-displease you. I won’t do anything if you don’t want me to.”

“The real question here is,” Ichigo murmured softly, “do you want this?”

Ishida responded immediately. “Yes, master, very much so.”

“Have you done this with your other owners?”

He shook his head hard. “No, master, I swear. You’re the only one I’ve wanted to do this with.” His blue eyes seemed to be trying to express his sincerity.

“Are you a virgin?”

The neko hesitated, ears laying back. “Yes, but I was taught of all the things that I would need to know beforehand if the master or mistress I first came to wanted me to perform sexual acts…. Does this anger you, master?”

The strawberry massaged the laid-back ears soothingly. “No, it does not. I am quite pleased. And yes, Ishida-koi, I do want this. As long as you’re not doing this out of pity….” Dude, shut up. He’s offering you sex. Just go with it, that voice from before hissed.

Again, Ichigo ignored it.

“M-master….” the neko whimpered, head dropping to rest against Ichigo’s. “I love you. I would never pity you. I want to make you feel good. Make you fell loved. I want to belong by your side. I….I’ll understand if you won’t want to keep me”

Ichigo jerked him down to lay flat against his chest, kissing him twice as ardently as before. His hand held the neko to him securely, and he plundered the boy’s mouth forcefully. Ishida brought his hands up and kneaded with his fingers and the slight bite of nails at the muscled flesh there. Ichigo’s other hand massaged the neko’s back before tugging at the knot holding the towel closed. He tossed the damp fabric away, and he pulled back to examine the delectable, sensuous body lying against his own.

Ishida’s pale flesh was flush with heat and pleasure. He was slender with sleek muscles beneath soft skin. The skin was flawless, no moles or freckles, no scars, no blemishes. The muscles in his thighs twitched and flexed as he sat up to allow Ichigo to see all of him, sliding to the floor. His member was slightly smaller than average, which seemed to embarrass the Halfling, but Ichigo found that he didn’t mind at all. At a circular motion of the strawberry’s hand, the neko turned to show off his backside. An elegant neck stretched into a long, supple spine. The globes of flesh that made up his ass were exquisite and practically begged to be grabbed.

All in all, this boy was gorgeous, and he couldn’t wait to bury his entire being inside him.

Ichigo rose and stripped off his pants before leaning back agains this pillows once again. Ishida peeked at him over his shoulder, eyes tracing over his master’s naked body and stopping at Ichigo’s larger-than-average penis. He bit his lip as lust glazed over his eyes before he resume his place, straddling the strong, tan thighs.

Ichigo reached up and tweaked Ishida’s little pink nipples, teasing them as they swiftly hardened. The Halfling moaned wantonly and began kneading his fingers into his master’s washboard stomach, just like the cat he was. Ichigo’s half-hard member stiffened more, and fire lanced through his system. It had been a while since he’d last had sex, and an even longer time since he’d been seme. He knew he’d be the “man” in the relationship, for Ishida was so obviously an uke.

My uke, he thought possessively, hazily. My wonderful, adorable, little neko-uke.

He gasped and arched when said uke moved his small, delicate hands to grip his erection. He played gently with the tanned, flushed organ, arousing the owner further. He took pleasure in caressing his master, and Ichigo had to resist the urge to throw him down and fuck him through the mattress.

Then Ishida bent to lick and suck at the head of Ichigo’s cock. Ichigo hissed and bucked, forcing Ishida to take all of him at once. Undaunted, the neko Halfling deep-throated him without difficulty. He cupped the heavy balls at the base of the strawberry’s rod, rolling and massaging them together. He hummed in pleasure, causing vibrations of ecstasy to sweep through his bucking seme.

Ichigo finally dragged Ishida back up and away. The neko frowned unhappily, but he kept caressing with his hands, even as Ichigo smoothed away the frown with a kiss to his lips. Then he pushed him back, reached over the drawer, and pulled out a tube of lubrication. He handed it to Ishida. “Prepare yourself,” he whispered seductively.

Ishida blushed darkly before rising to his knees. He opened the tube, put some of the lube on his fingers, and set aside the tube; then he reached down between his legs. Throwing back his head erotically, he circled his own entrance, moaning. After teasing himself a bit, he slid a single finger inside. He gasped, blue eyes going wide, and he pumped three times before he slid a second within. He scissor while Ichigo watched.

The strawberry groaned at the tempting sight. It was so erotic to watch someone fuck themselves on their own fingers. He found himself getting harder, if that was even possible. The moans emitting from his pet’s mouth aroused him to no end.

“Mmmmaaaasssster,” Ishida moaned. “So good….” He slipped in another finger. Now he was being stretched almost to his limit, and he seemed to absolutely love it.

“That may be good, pet, but I promise to give you something even better,” Ichigo vowed seductively, hands returning to play with pretty pink nipples.

“Ohhhhhh, master! I n-need you! Please, please, please….”

Ichigo removed Ishida’s fingers and licked them clean, smirking as he tasted the other’s essence. “Then come and get me, my pet.”

Crooning happily, Ishida crawled higher up on his body and placed his master’s cock at his entrance. He took a deep breath, meshed his fingers through Ichigo’s, and slowly began to lower himself. The process was grueling and tense, but he eventually settled himself. Ichigo panted at the feel of tight, wet hear encasing him. He waited a bit impatiently for Ishida to adjust.

“Master, you’re so….big!” the neko cried.

“I love your tight ass,” Ichigo groaned. He began to move slowly, thrusting his hips into that scorching heat, needing the friction.

“Ah! Nghaaa, mnn.” Ishida threw his head back in ecstasy.

“You’re so hot. I feel like I’m burning alive in your flame,” Ichigo continued breathlessly.

“Ohhh, mmmmmm…. Neh! Uh!” His eyes rolled into the back of their sockets.

“It’s like you were made for me…. To encase me like snug glove.” He disentangled his fingers from the neko’s desperate grasp so that he could grip the slim hips, holding them steady as he rocked into them strongly.

“Oh, oh, oh, uuuhhhhhh! Mmmaaaaaaassssssster!” Ishida wailed, squirming frantically. “Please, master, more. I n-need mmmoooooore!” He arched his back, taut and curved like a bow. “Ahhhh!! Please, master, take me harder!”

“Tell me again, Ishida,” Ichigo said in a broken voice, thrusting hard and fast as his urgency and pleasure built and moved closer and closer to that point of no return. He found himself desperate and craving to hear Ishida repeat his declaration form before.

Blue orbs filled with lust and complete devotion locked with needy chocolate pools. Panting, Ishida leaned over and pressed a surprisingly gentle kiss, despite the frantic urgency in their combine movements, to the corner of Ichigo’s mouth. “I love you, master.”

“Use….my name,” he gasped, thrusting harder.

“Ichigo-sama,” he whispered, pressing his forehead to his strawberry’s. “I love you so much. Please don’t leave me alone.”

Not like Lady Inoue abandoned me. Not like she threw me out to fend for myself until my new owner found me. Not like that.

He didn’t say it aloud, but Ichigo knew that’s what he was thinking. He could practically taste it in the heated air surrounding them as they lunged, rocked, and loved together. Urgency filled that same air, and Ichigo’s chocolate eyes captured Ishida’s baby blues.

“Don’t betray me, Uryuu Ishida,” he whispered gruffly, reaching to cup the side of his china-doll face. “Don’t hurt me. Always love me, and I’ll never abandon you; I’ll never leave. We’ll always love each other and be together. I promise.”

“I will, master. I’ll never hurt you.” Ishida feathered kisses all over Ichigo’s face. “I love you, I love you,” he chanted over and over.

Finally, they met their releases at the same time, as though their bodies had synchronized to each other. Ishida fell and lay over his seme’s strong chest, uncaring of the stickiness of semen melding them together. Ichigo wrapped his arms around him lovingly. They both drifted to sleep; holding one another in exhaustion.

~*~~*~*~*~~*~
When Ishida woke later that night, somewhere close to dawn, but not quite there yet, he realized he was the only one there in bed, curled around a pillow. He was clean of all sex-essences, and his heart warmed to know Ichigo had once again taken care of him, even though he could’ve done it himself. He sat up, regretting the coldness the absence of his master left. He rose and padded over to the dresser, digging about and pulling a button-down shirt of his master’s that reached his knees when he slipped it on.

Buttoning fur buttons to hide his chest where a few hickeys he didn’t remember receiving marked his skin, he went out to the living room. His ears perked when he heard the kitchen faucet turn on and off. He padded over to find Ichigo sitting on a kitchen chair with a sandwich and a glass of water, thumbing through a catalogue. Smiling softly, he went over to drape his arms around the strawberry’s neck, leaning down slightly to press his face close.

Ichigo started, then relaxed and smiled, reaching his hand up to rub at his neko’s ear, the other bringing the sandwich to his mouth. “Why aren’t you in bed?” he asked in a slightly absent tone.

“I woke, and you weren’t there. I got cold.” He put a pout in his voice. “Why did you leave? Did I do something wrong?” His ears drooped at the sudden prospect.

Ichigo turned his head slightly to kiss the corner of Ishida’s mouth. “You worked me so well earlier that I woke up hungry, so I cleaned us both and came out here to get something to eat. I was planning on coming back once I was finished. You were perfect. You please me very well.”

Ishida felt warmth spread through him, and he purred contentedly as Ichigo pulled him over to sit in his lap. He nuzzled that strong chest as Ichigo finished his sandwich and water. He began to doze, head resting against the man’s shoulder. He woke only a little when the strawberry picked him up and carried him back to bed. Ichigo lay spooned tightly against his back, warming his skin.

“Master?” he asked softly after a while of comfortable silence.

“What, pet?” the man asked, nuzzling his hair.

“Do you love me?” He knew it was a long-shot, that there was a chance the answer would be in the negative. But he knew he’d be happy just being with his master. He’d already promised to be with him always as long as he didn’t betray his trust like all the others had.

“Yeah, I do,” was the surprising answer.

“Can you tell me?” he asked as soon as the confession sank in.

Ichigo turned the neko around so they were facing each other. He brushed his knuckles over the skin of Ishida’s cheek. He gazed at him as though he were the most precious thing in the world. “I love you, Ishida Uryuu. I want you to be with me always. I want you to be happy, and if God allows it, I’d like to start a family with you.”

Tears of joy formed in the cat’s eyes, and he snuggled his head under Ichigo’s chin. “I love you, too,” he whispered.

Ichigo smiled, and they held each other close, drifting back into sleep as the first rays of sun peeked over the horizon.

Dagger: I’m finally finished. I’m so happy. XD Cross and Danny-boy went homenot togetherand SMB threw my brother out the window. I have to go and take a shower and go to bed, even thoughI probably won’t get to sleep. T.T Insomnia sucks, just to let you normal people know. I get an average of eight hours of sleep a week!!
Knives: And sleeping pills make her throw up.
Dagger: And he has to clean up the mess. ^^
Knives: Brat.
Dagger: Anyhow, review and tell me your thoughts of IchiIshi couples. I personally think there’s not enough of them.
Knives: No one cares what you think
Dagger: Shush.