Glacialus Sub Ubi (Bleach Fanfic)

Of Gaurd

After speaking with Unohana, Ichigo decided to sit in the room that she had Toshiro placed in. The boy was fast asleep, sleeping on his stomach, soft snoring coming out. Unohana had told Ichigo that she had given him a pain killer and something to cause him to sleep for awhile. His hair was still damp form the bath he had taken.

His shingami uniform and haori were folded on the side table. Incense sticks were also burning, creating a relaxing atmosphere. Ichigo sat back and found himself realizing, something he didn't get to do very often. After a couple of hours, he saw Toshiro's head move, and two teal eyes peer at him through half lidded, glazed eyes. "Ichi-nii…"

"Hitsugaya taicho?" Ichigo suddenly asked, taken a bit off guard, only to receive a glare from the small boy.

"What are you doing here? Am I in the fourth division… again?" the boy asked, pushing himself up, letting out a groan as his body moved sluggishly, not to mention stiffly.

"Do you remember what happened Toshiro?" the substitute shingami muttered, crossing his arm and crossing his right leg across his left.

At this, the young shingami's eyes went wide, recollection coming to him, he then turned his head away so that Ichigo couldn't see his face. "I don't remember."

However, Ichigo had his doubts and went and stood next to the bed, leaning over so he could look into the boy's face. Toshiro's normally emotionless face seemed pained with thought. Ichigo raised an eyebrow, though it looked like it was going down and gave the boy a small smirk. "I know your lying to me."

"It is none of your business Ichi-nii…" the white haired boy muttered, burring his head into the pillow.

"I think that it is my business," the orange haired boy muttered, pulling away and going back to sit in the chair.

"Oh… and why would that be?" came the reply, muffled by the pillow that the small face was buried in.

"You made it my business when you called me what you called me," Ichigo suddenly stated firmly.

This caused Toshiro to push himself up again and give the physically older boy a surprised and confused look. "I called you Kurosaki, Kurosaki."

Ichigo forced himself not to roll his eyes at the small boy, nor to comment that there was a definite contradiction to Toshiro's statement, as he knew the boy would argue the point. So he tried a different tactic. "In case you don't remember Toshiro, Rukia and I happened in on… the whole mess."

"I still say it is none of your business," Toshiro muttered, trying to turn away, but Ichigo got up again and grabbed his shoulder, but not enough that the tenth division taicho couldn't shake it off.

"Do you think that even if it really wasn't my business that I won't go and make it?" Ichigo stated, sitting on the edge.

"Could you go away all ready!" came the sudden snapping reply.

"Would you rather Rangiku be here?" Ichigo asked, his voice full of sarcasm.

"How is she?" Toshiro suddenly stated, his tone changing and brightening a bit with curiosity.

"Shouldn't you be more worried about yourself," came the sigh.

"She's my subordinate… it is…" Toshiro stated, only to find himself interrupted.

"I believe you're going to say it is your job. You do know that Unohana knows what happened?" Ichigo stated.

"I'll ask her to keep quite about all of this," the small boy stated, then turned towards Ichigo, as if he had a thought. "Can you do something for me?"

"What might that be?" the substitute shingami knew that the Toshiro rarely asked for something.

"If anyone asked, nothing happened," the boy suddenly stated, lying his head back down on the pillow.

"You want me to lie?" Ichigo narrowed his eyes, his voice strained.

"This is the only time this happened. It won't happen again," the small boy yawned. "Matsumoto… she… I am going to pretend this didn't happen, all right?"

"Just like you pretend that no one ever teased you about your looks?" Ichigo commented, suddenly again leaning over talking straight into the small taicho's ear, his tone dark.

"I don't know what your talking about Kurosaki," Toshiro's voice was whispered and chocked out, his eyes closing shut.

"You don't think I don't know what it is like to have someone make smart remarks about my hair color?" Ichigo again placed a hand on the boys shoulder, his tone calmer, then removed it. "What did I tell you before?"

"That I don't have to do things on my own," the boy closed his eyes. "This is different though… then those times. Please… don't say anything about this, don't say that happened. I want things to go back to normal."

"Toshiro…" Ichigo closed his eyes, sighing. "I am not planning on saying anything, but it depends on things. I don't like lying, and…"

"Promise… Lieutenant Matsumoto is the only one that's left…" Toshiro closed his eyes. "I can't visit granny. Hinamori is off in her own little world."

"Why can't you visit your grandmother," Ichigo asked.

"I… would rather not say," however, Toshiro could hear his dragon speaking in his mind.

"You are afraid boy… afraid you will kill her. You need to admit that aloud to someone you can trust."

"Shut up Hyorinmaru," Toshiro muttered, burring his head again.

"How about your former taicho…" Ichigo suddenly stated.

Suddenly two teal eyes turned towards the substitute reaper, coldness in them. The temperature in the room dropped, and a chocking sound came from Toshiro's throat. "My former taicho…"

"You heard what I said," Ichigo stated.

"You are venturing on dangerous ground, Kurosaki… very dangerous ground," the boy chocked out, the temperature in the room dropping drastically. "Obviously if he is my former taicho, he isn't around anymore… don't insult me."

Ichigo wished to say something, but remembered that Unohana had said something about Toshiro's feelings on the matter. "I'm sorry. I was being my normal stupid self."

"I don't forgive you. Don't bring him up again," the boy muttered, turning away, trying to ignore the situation at hand.

"What are you going to do if this does come out? You just admitted that you would be lost if Rangiku wasn't around," Ichigo stated.

"Shut up… you don't know what your talking about," the boy muttered.

That was when Rukia stepped into the room, a frantic look on her face. She spoke very fast. "Matsumoto-just-turned-herself-in. She-made-me-promise-to-tell-the-truth. I-am-so-sorry."

Toshiro clenched his eyes shut and his hands closed tightly on the sheets.