Shadow Dance
Title: Shadow Dance
Characters: Ichigo/Byakuya, Hichigo
Wordcount: 1200
Rating: PG
Summary: Byakuya finds his lover embroiled in a battle with himself.
Prompts:
mission_insane dance;
2x5obsessions shadow dance;
slash_me_twice moonlight;
24hour_themes 1AM,
“Wholeness of self, banished of shadows”
Authors Notes: There will probably be a continuation of this from Ichigo's pov. Ja~ne
Byakuya woke alone. The draft chilling his back served for an acute reminder of the heat absent from his cot. Pulling himself into a seated position Byakuya noted the lack of feeling he felt at his lover’s abandonment. Anger didn’t blaze through his body causing him to purse his lips and narrow his eyes. He felt, resigned to his fate. Despite the glacial temperament of most of his body, his feet were warm. Even though the idiot left the bed, he put socks on Byakuya so he wouldn’t freeze.
Most people would consider that sweet. Byakuya sneered delicately, drawing the thin white sheets around his body. Rising to full height, he began to travel through the dark halls of his estate with the ease of someone who’d traversed the cherry wood for ages, the shadows of the dancing sakuras were a familiar companion. He walked silently, knowing where not to step for optimum silence. The estate differed at night. During the day it bustled with movement, filled to the brim with servants and nobles but at night Byakuya enjoyed his privacy, as did his lover.
The silent footsteps slowed as he approached the back garden. Despite his restlessness and desire to run off his agitation, Ichigo heeded Byakuya’s request and did not stray from the estate without informing him. A small smile curved on Byakuya’s lips as he recalled the first time Ichigo ran off in the middle of the night without telling him. The ensuing battle made their first look like a toddler's fight.
Slowly sliding the door open, Byakuya marveled at the man who squirmed his way into his affections, similar to the way the maggot worms its way into a carcass. The moonlight shined on Ichigo, giving him a somewhat ethereal appearance. His body gleamed covered in sheen of sweat. His lithe muscle lifted Zangetsu as if it were a child's toy and thrust at an invisible opponent. Ichigo stepped forward, issuing a challenge to the nonexistent fighter.
Byakuya pursed his lips. This is what Ichigo left his bed for night after night, to spar with the air? Fury blossomed and scattered in Byakuya's eyes as he called for Senbonzakura. Was Ichigo implying that Byakuya was no longer a challenge for him? Without looking away from his lover Byakuya reached out a hand to catch his flying blade. He stepped forward. Ichigo turned his head and their eyes connected. Byakuya inhaled in a silent gasp. Ichigo's eyes were glazed but burning. One eye glowed a sickly yellow, the other a smoldering brown. The wind blew, ruffling Ichigo's orange hair and Byakuya did not look away. There was an insistent tugging at his heart, a feeling that used to only associate with Rukia. Now, it was the fear and determination in his lover’s eyes that tugged at his heartstrings.
"Show me," he beckoned, titling his head forward. The wind whisked and carried his response to Ichigo.
Ichigo inclined his head and looked back at his nonexistent opponent. Except, under the beams of the moon a hazy figure appeared. Byakuya’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly. By instinct, he knew what the thing before him was. When he'd asked Ichigo what his hollow looked like, the despair in his eyes weighed down on Byakuya’s soul, "He looks like me," Ichigo responded. "But a tainted version of me. "
Now, Byakuya understood what Ichigo meant, stark white skin with screaming blood red running through in stripes. Clutched in a spectral hand with black nails was a horned hollow mask, yellow eyes glowed in the dark, insanity brightening and piercing through Byakuya’s body. A teasing smile that promised destruction curled foreign on Hollow Ichigo's face.
"You know what I want king," Hollow Ichigo grinned showing teeth the same color as his skin. The voice didn't sound particularly menacing, but distorted. Byakuya pulled the sheets further around his shoulders. The chill that had vacated suddenly returned.
"You know what you have to do," Ichigo replied, his body moving into a fighting stance. Hollow Ichigo laughed; Byakuya’s teeth clenched, and he tightened his hold on Senbonzakura. His instincts called for him to fight, told him that the creature before him needed to be eradicated; he did not move.
Byakuya noticed a pattern of back and forth with Ichigo and his enemies. Normally, Ichigo would respond with a determined, “I do,” or a furious, “Lets get on with it!” He didn’t respond to his inner hollow. He squeezed the hilt of Zangetsu and tightened his jaw. His eyes were ironically hollow, but determined, weariness engraved on his boyish face.
Ichigo sighed; Hollow Ichigo smirked; they moved as one.
Primal instinct battled against conscious skill before Byakuya’s eyes. It was unfathomable that Hollow Ichigo was even a part of the man who fought with him and beside him. He faught with no reguard for his partner, his Zanpaktou. Wild swings clanged against Ichigo’s tempered movements. Exuberiant shrieks soared through the air from Hollow Ichigo’s mouth, black tongue swaying in the wind. Byakuya’s lips curled upward into a delicate sneer, disgusted. Disgusted and intrigued and more disgusted by the fact that such an animal could intrigue him.
Hollow Ichigo moved like a beast, with no prior thought or planning. It was primitive and dangerous. The Hollow took unnecessary risks to lure Ichigo closer, leaving himself open to attack at the last minute. He fought with no regard for his life and no respect for his Zanpaktou and yet, Byakuya saw beauty in it.
In the same way modern man reveled the cave painting of yore, Byakuya could appreciate the raw talent of Ichigo’s hollow. However, whatever vague fascination he could muster for Ichigo’s hollow paled in comparison to the sheer majesty of Ichigo. Even if his hollow did not, Byakuya knew that the battle was lost as soon as it began. Ichigo moved precise, like a trained warrior. His muscles stretched and contracted beautifully under the moonlight, his brown eyes never loosing focus. Every time Hollow Ichigo moved, Ichigo was already in place.
It was a dance, a battle within himself. Epiphany struck and Byakuya understood at once what Ichigo wanted him to, as the battle began to draw to a close. Hollow Ichigo fought himself into a corner, with his large and unnecessary movements and disregard for his life-he’d gone exactly where Ichigo wanted him.
Ichigo did not hesitate for to kill himself. He sliced his hollow in half both sides hazing and disappearing. He paused; Zangetsu still extended, exhaled and walked over to Byakuya. He stood before him, distanced but close and waited. His trepidation apparent in the way he stood. Byakuya took one step forward and closed some of the distance between them.
“You,” he breathed as Ichigo’s eyes brightened, “are an idiot.”
He took another step forward.
“You,” he continued, “are a tremendous idiot.”
Characters: Ichigo/Byakuya, Hichigo
Wordcount: 1200
Rating: PG
Summary: Byakuya finds his lover embroiled in a battle with himself.
Prompts:
mission_insane dance;
2x5obsessions shadow dance;
slash_me_twice moonlight;
24hour_themes 1AM,
“Wholeness of self, banished of shadows”
Authors Notes: There will probably be a continuation of this from Ichigo's pov. Ja~ne
Byakuya woke alone. The draft chilling his back served for an acute reminder of the heat absent from his cot. Pulling himself into a seated position Byakuya noted the lack of feeling he felt at his lover’s abandonment. Anger didn’t blaze through his body causing him to purse his lips and narrow his eyes. He felt, resigned to his fate. Despite the glacial temperament of most of his body, his feet were warm. Even though the idiot left the bed, he put socks on Byakuya so he wouldn’t freeze.
Most people would consider that sweet. Byakuya sneered delicately, drawing the thin white sheets around his body. Rising to full height, he began to travel through the dark halls of his estate with the ease of someone who’d traversed the cherry wood for ages, the shadows of the dancing sakuras were a familiar companion. He walked silently, knowing where not to step for optimum silence. The estate differed at night. During the day it bustled with movement, filled to the brim with servants and nobles but at night Byakuya enjoyed his privacy, as did his lover.
The silent footsteps slowed as he approached the back garden. Despite his restlessness and desire to run off his agitation, Ichigo heeded Byakuya’s request and did not stray from the estate without informing him. A small smile curved on Byakuya’s lips as he recalled the first time Ichigo ran off in the middle of the night without telling him. The ensuing battle made their first look like a toddler's fight.
Slowly sliding the door open, Byakuya marveled at the man who squirmed his way into his affections, similar to the way the maggot worms its way into a carcass. The moonlight shined on Ichigo, giving him a somewhat ethereal appearance. His body gleamed covered in sheen of sweat. His lithe muscle lifted Zangetsu as if it were a child's toy and thrust at an invisible opponent. Ichigo stepped forward, issuing a challenge to the nonexistent fighter.
Byakuya pursed his lips. This is what Ichigo left his bed for night after night, to spar with the air? Fury blossomed and scattered in Byakuya's eyes as he called for Senbonzakura. Was Ichigo implying that Byakuya was no longer a challenge for him? Without looking away from his lover Byakuya reached out a hand to catch his flying blade. He stepped forward. Ichigo turned his head and their eyes connected. Byakuya inhaled in a silent gasp. Ichigo's eyes were glazed but burning. One eye glowed a sickly yellow, the other a smoldering brown. The wind blew, ruffling Ichigo's orange hair and Byakuya did not look away. There was an insistent tugging at his heart, a feeling that used to only associate with Rukia. Now, it was the fear and determination in his lover’s eyes that tugged at his heartstrings.
"Show me," he beckoned, titling his head forward. The wind whisked and carried his response to Ichigo.
Ichigo inclined his head and looked back at his nonexistent opponent. Except, under the beams of the moon a hazy figure appeared. Byakuya’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly. By instinct, he knew what the thing before him was. When he'd asked Ichigo what his hollow looked like, the despair in his eyes weighed down on Byakuya’s soul, "He looks like me," Ichigo responded. "But a tainted version of me. "
Now, Byakuya understood what Ichigo meant, stark white skin with screaming blood red running through in stripes. Clutched in a spectral hand with black nails was a horned hollow mask, yellow eyes glowed in the dark, insanity brightening and piercing through Byakuya’s body. A teasing smile that promised destruction curled foreign on Hollow Ichigo's face.
"You know what I want king," Hollow Ichigo grinned showing teeth the same color as his skin. The voice didn't sound particularly menacing, but distorted. Byakuya pulled the sheets further around his shoulders. The chill that had vacated suddenly returned.
"You know what you have to do," Ichigo replied, his body moving into a fighting stance. Hollow Ichigo laughed; Byakuya’s teeth clenched, and he tightened his hold on Senbonzakura. His instincts called for him to fight, told him that the creature before him needed to be eradicated; he did not move.
Byakuya noticed a pattern of back and forth with Ichigo and his enemies. Normally, Ichigo would respond with a determined, “I do,” or a furious, “Lets get on with it!” He didn’t respond to his inner hollow. He squeezed the hilt of Zangetsu and tightened his jaw. His eyes were ironically hollow, but determined, weariness engraved on his boyish face.
Ichigo sighed; Hollow Ichigo smirked; they moved as one.
Primal instinct battled against conscious skill before Byakuya’s eyes. It was unfathomable that Hollow Ichigo was even a part of the man who fought with him and beside him. He faught with no reguard for his partner, his Zanpaktou. Wild swings clanged against Ichigo’s tempered movements. Exuberiant shrieks soared through the air from Hollow Ichigo’s mouth, black tongue swaying in the wind. Byakuya’s lips curled upward into a delicate sneer, disgusted. Disgusted and intrigued and more disgusted by the fact that such an animal could intrigue him.
Hollow Ichigo moved like a beast, with no prior thought or planning. It was primitive and dangerous. The Hollow took unnecessary risks to lure Ichigo closer, leaving himself open to attack at the last minute. He fought with no regard for his life and no respect for his Zanpaktou and yet, Byakuya saw beauty in it.
In the same way modern man reveled the cave painting of yore, Byakuya could appreciate the raw talent of Ichigo’s hollow. However, whatever vague fascination he could muster for Ichigo’s hollow paled in comparison to the sheer majesty of Ichigo. Even if his hollow did not, Byakuya knew that the battle was lost as soon as it began. Ichigo moved precise, like a trained warrior. His muscles stretched and contracted beautifully under the moonlight, his brown eyes never loosing focus. Every time Hollow Ichigo moved, Ichigo was already in place.
It was a dance, a battle within himself. Epiphany struck and Byakuya understood at once what Ichigo wanted him to, as the battle began to draw to a close. Hollow Ichigo fought himself into a corner, with his large and unnecessary movements and disregard for his life-he’d gone exactly where Ichigo wanted him.
Ichigo did not hesitate for to kill himself. He sliced his hollow in half both sides hazing and disappearing. He paused; Zangetsu still extended, exhaled and walked over to Byakuya. He stood before him, distanced but close and waited. His trepidation apparent in the way he stood. Byakuya took one step forward and closed some of the distance between them.
“You,” he breathed as Ichigo’s eyes brightened, “are an idiot.”
He took another step forward.
“You,” he continued, “are a tremendous idiot.”