Chapter Text
Ichigo, objectively speaking, was perfect. Or as perfect as his humanity allowed him. That’s something irrefutable and Kisuke would fight whoever thought otherwise.
But even as close to perfection as he is the young man has his flaws. Minimal, of course but…
They’re there, and while most would likely be just called pet peeves, he can count a couple that are indeed important.
First, he’s a good judge of character but too trusting sometimes.
It’s a casual slip, as if it was not important. But as Kisuke’s mind processed the notion, Ichigo cringed, waiting out his reaction.
“Um, Kisuke?”
“They took your eyesight from you, you say?” Kisuke finally says, polite smile in place and bloodlust almost out of control. Ichigo seemed unperturbed by this. “Well then-“
“Before you try anything, remember the Xcution guys are dead, okay?” Ichigo cuts him off, raising his hands as if that would placate him. “And anyway, Inoue healed me, so it’s nothing major. Also-“
He too is cut off, and Kisuke doesn’t look any less angry. “They’re not all dead, Ichigo. I’m sure I can hunt them down and-“
“And nothing, let it go, it’s not even important.” He says, resting his hands on Kisuke’s shoulders as if to restrain him.
Kisuke directs his anger at the dismissive boy. “Ichigo-kun. Why do you insist on trusting dangerous individuals? At least refrain from doing so when you don’t have your powers.”
Ichigo rolls his eyes, but his fingers twitch, giving him away. “I’m generally a good judge of character. And I-“ His voice falters slightly, and Ichigo glances away. “A-anyway, I’m still alive, aren’t I?”
Kisuke’s heart softens as he lets his anger go. He reaches for the protesting teen, softly coaxes him to a lax hug, letting him hide in the crux of his shoulder. “Those assholes broke your trust. You don’t have to beat yourself over it. All I ask you is try to be more conscious of who you decide to trust. Or, you can trust everyone blindly and never leave me. I won’t ever let anyone do such a thing to you and get away with it.”
“Kisuke.” Ichigo murmurs against his shoulder. “You suck at romance.”
Still, the smile pressing against that same shoulder was not missed.
Second.
And this is stupidly endearing, but Ichigo can be so unbelievably dense at times.
The boy is perceptive. Awfully perceptive and catches on most things with the smallest of hints, of hesitation, of deceit. He’s combat smart, and academically intelligent and…
Denser than honey when it came to relationships.
“Kisuke what are you doing.”
“Well, what does it look like?”
“Well, I don’t know. That’s what I’m asking.” Ichigo replies, grunting as yet another petal falls on his head. “I didn’t even know you liked flowers.”
“That is not the point now, Ichigo-kun. I’m intrigued, you really don’t know what I’m trying to do?” Kisuke asks and there’s a note of concern in his tone that manages to draw Ichigo’s scowl back on his face.
“Failing at making a garden inside the Shoten?”
Kisuke sighs, aggravated. He grabs his hand and leads him to the table. He makes him sit down, bathing both of their faces in candlelight. He looks into his boyfriend’s eyes and says,
“I made dinner for us.”
Ichigo stares at him. “You can’t cook.”
“Yes, but, it’s the intention that counts. I brought the food from that Italian restaurant you like.”
Ichigo just quirks an eyebrow and Kisuke is just about ready to sigh in defeat.
“You wanted something tranquil and you didn’t want your father snooping around. This is my attempt at a romantic date, please Ichigo have mercy on my soul.”
Ichigo actually looks close to laughing. “Kisuke, I know . There’s no way anyone could confuse this as anything else.”
Kisuke freezes just the smallest of seconds, once more having been surprised by Kurosaki Ichigo. “Then?”
Ichigo looks away briefly. “I just don’t understand why all this fanfare for just another dinner.”
“Ah, Ichigo-kun. That’s where you’re wrong. Every dinner, every meal with you is a precious gift. Rather, this is nothing compared to the sort of things I have reserved for our anniversary.”
Kisuke pauses his pompous love declaration. “I love you, Ichigo-kun. And I want to take advantage of every second I can get to demonstrate it to you. I have no need for special dates or whatever. Every day that you allow me to be by your side is just as important to me as any.”
Ichigo smiles.
Third.
Ichigo has the most dangerous hero complex.
And it’s all Kisuke’s fault.
He tries not to blame Ichigo, he tries to remember that his actions are heavily influenced by this complex, which is not something he has full control over.
He had always had it, Kisuke won’t kid himself. This complex isn’t something new. But.
He had helped it grow out of proportion.
And that just hurt even more.
“Ichigo, you don’t even know them! What are you going to do?! Storm the place and hope they will come running to you?! You might get killed if you charge in like that-!”
Ichigo tosses him a curious glance over his shoulder even as he finishes preparing his traveling bag. “Who cares if I don’t know them? They’re in danger and I can help-“
“You don’t have to-!” Kisuke almost shouts, wanting to shake the young man to make him see sense.
Ichigo’s expression frosts over. “Ah, right. It’s not like you would understand.”
The words cut deep, but Kisuke doesn’t let it show. Instead he tries rationalizing, tries easing that suicidal hero complex out of the boy. “I am not saying you shouldn’t go. I’m not going to stop you, but not letting you go alone. I’m just asking to consider your options before jumping head on. What are these hostages that are important enough to be kidnapped? Do they have powers? can they help us rescue them? And what about their soldier boy? The one who came asking you for help. Is he being sincere? Or he just selling you out? At least let me figure out these things, before you jump.”
Ichigo sighs, tension exuding from his figure. His fingers clench and unclench, “I’m not comfortable with waiting. They could die if we take too long. “ He sighs. “While you figure that out, I’ll see if any of the captains wants to come with me.”
Kisuke will take what he can.
And then, as if he could look under Kisuke’s layers of disguise, Ichigo’s expression changes as he looks at Kisuke, before softly taking his hand and kissing it. And there’s nothing Kisuke wouldn’t forgive when Ichigo could issue comforts and promises with just his touch.
What Kisuke would call his biggest flaw is that he’s audacious.
Yeah, he’s strong, independent and won’t be a sheep but… he’s also brazen, overly cocky and has insulted his friends on more of one occasion by thinking himself that much better.
Following that, he… he hates to admit it, but he can’t deny that Ichigo’s stupidly reckless sometimes.
To sum all of that in one word, he’s stupidly audacious.
“It doesn’t matter that Inoue can heal you, damn it! If you can avoid it, then that’s even better!” Kisuke exclaims rather loudly even as a fully healed Ichigo tries to calm him down.
“Whoa! Calm down, nothing bad happened. Bad guy’s dead and Inoue patched me up alright, you’re not usually one to think on the maybes.” Ichigo tries dissuading his lover, but he catches a glimpse of the storm of the man in his silver eyes before he is slapped.
And not a lovers-quarrel slap. An honest-to-god, bruising and blood-bringing slap that brings on the silence faster than any word can.
Ichigo stops. He looks back at his boyfriend, confused and maybe a little angry.
“Oi, what-?”
“I know that you are strong. I know that you want to deal with things and get over them. I know you have faith in Inoue’s healing.” He begins far too calmly, just like the eye of a hurricane. “But that recklessness of yours will get you killed someday! Your injuries were severe enough that if Inoue hadn’t already been trying to reach you– which is astoundingly stupid that you left her on her own – you would have, without a doubt, died. We had a plan , you absolute idiot. If you’d just understand that we too can stand our ground. “ He winds down abruptly, snorts out of his nose and just walks away without a word.
Ichigo is stunned, wordless.
From behind him, Inoue scoots forward. Hesitant and tired and Ichigo realizing how exhausted she must have been before even healing him is like another slap to the face.
“He’s just worried about you.” She mumbles, smiling at him. “You have always been the strongest out of us, and it’s understandable that you want to protect others but… let us fight too. We’re not helpless. And if we all follow the plan we set up, the chances of any of us getting injured is lowered.”
“Inoue,” Ichigo looks back at her, surprised for some reason. Then his face sours. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have run off on my own.” Inoue nods, accepting his apology and he sighs again, staring longingly at the direction his lover had disappeared into. “I suppose I deserved that slap.” He looks uncertain. “What am I going to do?”
Inoue actually looks annoyed. “Well what are you waiting for? Go after him!”
But he has to mention one last one.
Ichigo makes crap decisions sometimes.
Like deciding that Kisuke is the man he wants to spend his life with.
“What are you going to do once you finish college?”
Ichigo is staring intently at him, perhaps a little too much. “I have some ideas.”
Kisuke blinks, puzzled by this vague response. “Yes? Would you like to share them?”
“Well,” Ichigo breaks eye contact briefly, before proceeding. “I think I’m going to come back here to Karakura, get a job. Make sure the girls have everything they need for their years of college and then, I don’t know. I’d like to travel.”
“Ah, that sounds absolutely fantastic.” Kisuke hums without a drop of his smartassery. “You certainly deserve as much. Also, if you don’t mind, I would like to offer my services with getting your sisters through college. If they need an apartment, I can easily arrange for cheap but good accommodations. And also, I have some extra money lying around if you ever need it.”
Ichigo smiles indulgently, deciding not to fight over Kisuke giving them money for once; he just shakes his head as if he can’t quite believe him and then tries saying something. He hesitates, looks away again and then sighs. “I’m also looking to settle, probably here in Karakura.”
“Oh? Returning to your roots I see.” Kisuke says, his smile a little hesitant, knowing there’s something Ichigo is trying to say but not understanding what. Ichigo’s nervousness is palpable and it freezes his face in a scowl.
Ichigo looks back at him, and his features soften again, his insecurities becoming nothing but a passing thought. He finally says, “I’d like you to come with me.”
Kisuke smiles, confused. “What? And go where?”
“After my trip, which I’m going with my human friends so you’re not invited,” Ichigo declares unsympathetically but with humor, which quickly turns again into nervousness. “I… I was thinking that maybe you and I could live together. If you’d like. You don’t have to. It’s okay if you refuse. Besides you already have your shoten and your business. And also-“
Kisuke is just blinking in silence, utterly confused, as if his brain cells had combusted. When he can articulate again the words that come out are, “but why would you ever want to live with me?”
Ichigo blinks back at him, as the words register before his scowl is plastered on his face with vengeance. “Because that’s something people want to do with their boyfriends, you absolute idiot.”
Kisuke actually looks surprised, and Ichigo will beat him if he tries to ask if that’s what they are.
“I want to settle down and live a normal life. And I know that’s impossible for me –you’re my fucking boyfriend, I mean– but at least a calm life. Get a dog or something, but I really, really want you and I to share a roof. If… If that’s alright with you.”
Kisuke looks vulnerable. Far too vulnerable and taken aback and he simply can’t formulate words. Ichigo wants to give him time to process, but he’s also battling emotions within him so he just lowers his head on his propped-up arm, looking to the side.
“Ichigo-kun,” Kisuke finally says and it’s almost a sob. “I would be honored. ”
Ichigo’s heart swells inside his chest and he looks up in time to see Kisuke kneeling in front of him.
There’s an indescribable glee shining in storm-colored eyes as the blond grabs his face and pulls him in for a kiss.
And there’s nothing Kisuke would ever change about him.