Kōzandearu toki ni, watashi wa me o oite kite iru koto o..... ((That which I've laid eyes upon is mine.....))

Ingo just smiled and politely returned the gesture. He didn't need Ichigo to accept with words, he had already accepted with his heart. "Didn't need to say it out loud...you already said it in here..." he said, tapping Ichigo's chest with his index and middle finger.

"Like it or not, you accepted me...and like it or not...I'm staying..." he said lowly, smiling lightly. "I'm not saying you caught me, because you didn't...but you have me anyway Ichigo So...and like it or not, you will always have me...no matter who tries to get rid of me..." he said lowly and removed his fingers from Ichigo's chest and shoved his hand back into his pocket.

"I will be coming to your home next week...please prepare Mujo...I don't want him getting pissy...." he said lowly as he turned and began to walk towards the door. But just as he reached the thresh-hold, he paused and turned to glare at Jasmine. "Get in my way any more...and I will kill you...this time, I'm not kidding around..." he told her lowly, coldly.

Jasmine shivered as if it was some sort of funny joke between them smiling. And then the end of class bell rang and Ichigo got up not wanting to stay for the rest of school not now. He needed to go home he needed to talk to Mujo. His grades were fine and honestly right now.....there was simply too much bouncing around in his head.

Ichigo walked towards the door as the principle sighed. "Ansho-kun...."

"Relax Jii-sama I know the rules just fine........I won't break them no matter how much they piss me off." Ichigo didn't turn. "Doesn't mean I have to like them or even accept the situation at rate at this moment but that doesn't mean I don't know I can't get out of it either." he said sourly as he looked at the Principle who sighed.

"Ansho-kun, while that is all well and good.....have a little faith in Chushin, he didn't choose you because because he has a death wish or to bust your ass. Chushin choose you because while your so busy protecting everyone around you, who is protecting you?"

Ichigo shook his head. "Its fine if I'm the one in danger....."

Shindo sighed. "No Ansho-kun it's not. And it's not the physical danger I'm talking about I think you'll find Chushin is quiet capable of protecting you if you let him." he said walking out of the room.

Ichigo scowled deeper and left the school hitting the gates and broke into a dead running heading home....he was done for today he couldn't take anymore he couldn't.....he needed to see Mujo for some reason when he talked to his dad things calmed down in his head and made sense and right now jack shit was making any sense to him. He didn't care he was cutting classes or that his next period's teacher was likely to get pissy with him tomorrow for missing class again not flunking but asking him to please make sure he was in his seat since talking to empty chairs wasn't as much fun. He needed to get home, feeling like a small lost child at the moment part of him that was the vampire chylde wanting to collaspe into his fathers arms and scream and holler and talk and figure out why the heck.....Ingo meant so much to him already when they just met.

Ingo sighed and shook his head. He was done with her shit for the day. He turned, walking out the second before the bell rang. He was done with the humans and the idiots at school today. So instead, he left. Going home, Ingo skipped his last class of the day, not really giving a shit about Japanese History anyway.

~*~
Mujo sat in a chair by the door, waiting for Ichigo to come bursting through the door, playing his guitar. He knew things had been annoying Ichigo, as any father (or reaper) would.

And when Ichigo reached the door, Mujo didn't look up, simply stopped playing and spoke lowly, "Rough day today Ichi?"

He didn't need to look at him to know that Ichigo had been looking for him. He had known the moment it happened what was wrong with Ichigo, and had yet to have the time to sit down and explain this part...so now he had no choice.

Ichigo stood in the doorway shaking his head. He walked in and looked at his dad letting the door close behind him as Mujo was more or less expecting him. Mujo would know easily enough being a reaper and then being able to sense it so clearly.....well Ichigo's massive reiatsu was currently on spin cycle without signs of getting off. He walked towards him. "Yeah.....I.....this....." he said shaking his head and frustrated he was shaking a bit part of him wanting to run back part of him wanting to stay here part of him wanting answers there was soo much he didn't understand right now. "Why...." he asked the most important question bouncing around in his head why did he care so much about Ingo when all the man did was walk in the door? Why did he walk into his heart. Why was Ichigo certain he'd break if Ingo was hurt or killed or suddenly decided to turn his gaze elsewhere. Why....so many why's. Ichigo almost felt like crying but when he cried he usually dropped to his knees and screamed. So that wasn't happening. He hadn't even touched on the issue of Big/Little yet....Ingo coming for a few weeks next week and oh yeah Ichigo's moving out after to Ingo's place. Yeah loads of fun.....if he could but calm down and think straight.

"Why......I can't.....he'll I can't not again...." he whispered as the circle of conflicting emotions played though him.

Mujo sighed and put his scythe down and got up off the chair and walked over to Ichigo and put a gentle hand on his head. "The answer is simple enough...He's your 'one'..." he said lowly and moved his hand away.

"He's the one for you...the one who you will love eternally. It's the way vampires find their true love. You don't have to look for them, they just happen. Even if you don't want it to, even if you try to push everyone and everything away...your 'one' can never be pushed away..." he explained lowly as his dull gray eyes looked at Ichigo.

Ichigo looked up at Mujo. "My one..." he echoed he understood that well enough but closed his eyes and stepped forwards letting his head come to rest against Mujo's chest and shoulder. Comfort it didn't matter he wasn't his human birth father. Ironically enough Mujo So had been more of a father while his own birth father more of a live in Master and instructor in the martial arts. Ichigo loved the idiot anyways in his own way. But Mujo.....he brought a hand up to rest against Mujo's chest. "I....can't protect him as I am now..." and for Ichigo that was so heavily important. That was perhaps his biggest issue with the conflicting emotions Ingo swore he didn't need Ichigo to protect him that Ningyoshi would be a fool to come after him and he was undoubtedly right. But that didn't change Ichigo down to his very core. Just as he felt the need to protect Mujo and Zuma although they didn't need him to he felt it towards Ingo as well and being powerless to protect them made him want to protect Ingo the only way he could and that was push him away. Which wasn't working Ichigo was loosing the will incredibly fast to push Ingo away.

He did sigh though. "I'll deal." he said calming down and being well Ichigo. "Dad....you might want to sit down....there's something....I have to tell you." he said lightly and it was perhaps something that would upset Mujo......

Mujo sighed and put a gentle hand back on Ichigo's head. "You don't need to protect him...all you have to do is be yourself..." he said lowly and ruffled his hair before he knelled down and looked at Ichigo.

"Protecting those who can't protect themselves is what you're here for. He can protect himself..." he told him lowly before he complied with Ichigo's request and sat down in the chair.

Ichigo looked at his dad and nodded that would take time to sink in. Mujo told him that often but still it would take time. He took a deep breath as he looked at him that comfort of having his hair ruffled like that helped to ease the last of the racy tension in him. "It's about school.....apparently they have a tradition.....were every high school senior is chosen by a College student they are called the 'Big' and the high school senior the 'Little'. The big determines wither or not the high school student is qualified enough to get into the college..." Ichigo said as he shifted a bit shoving his hands in his pockets this was where things....got complicated.

"According to the school rules....the Big my big......he will come here next week and stay.....for a week or more and get to know you and Zuma....before I am required to move in with him to finish out the school year.....failure to do so.....will result in my expulsion from high school.....I don't have a choice in the matter." Ichigo said honestly as he looked at Mujo. "My....Big is Ingo Chushin...." He nearly died a little over three months ago and now.....now he was having to tell his dad that really soon....Ichigo would be moving out......or be kicked out of school.

Mujo was honestly not phased by this. He had already known about the schools 'tradition' before he enrolled Ichigo. "I was already aware of the school's tradition, it is one of the reason's I enrolled you in the school to begin with..." he said lowly as he looked up at Ichigo.

"My only requirement is that I'm allowed to visit at will...other than that...I look forward to meeting Ingo...he seems to be rather amusing...from the stories I've heard..." he said lowly as he lifted his scythe back up and into his lap.

Ichigo looked at Mujo and scowled shrugging before walking off. "He asked me to tell you he was coming." he said as he walked towards his room scowl firmly in place it would have been nice to know himself about the traditions of the school and that one could not get out of them before senior year. Why that school he wasn't sure but Ichigo walked towards the stairs school bag slung over his shoulder cutting class didn't mean he wasn't going to do his homework at the moment he still had to graduate high school. Even if he was irritated and frustrated with the whole mess.

Irritated and annoyed.....then again if Ichigo really paused to think about it he was irritated and annoyed with most things.

Mujo chuckled lowly and looked up at Ichigo again. "I look forward to meeting him...especially if he requested you tell me specifically..." he said lowly, amused by the fact that Ingo requested he specifically be informed of his stay at their home.

"As to me not telling you...you didn't really give me time to...you were too busy being pissed about having to go to that specific High School..." he said lowly, not looking at Ichigo anymore as he focused on playing the soft melodies that he usually did while he was at home.

Ichigo turned his head and looked at Mujo as he paused on the steps. Yeah he had been pissed....and now he was pissed about this seemed he was always in a bad mood these days not that it ever seemed to bother Mujo any he swore Mujo found his bad mood endearing or something as he was never scolded for it. "Because it's a pain in the ass." he answered and it was. Didn't matter they let him cut classes to do his reaper job no questions asked, they never tried to flunk him they never anything of the sort in fact Upon his return a few weeks back Shindo had informed him again of the standing rule with Vampires that as long as he had his donor's permission he was allowed to feed on school grounds. As well as welcoming him back to school.

Ichigo shook his head as he turned to go up the stairs.....he honestly hated the school, hated most of his classmates didn't care what they thought of him. He didn't mind Keigo but there were times when even he annoyed the the living daylights out of him......Ichigo was still for the most part pissed off at the world.....and that was partially because.....they wouldn't let him let go of the pain of almost four years ago, every time he thought he could move past it they rubbed salt into the wounds. That much he had successfully hide from Mujo by just keeping himself pissed off at everything in general. That was his guilt his anger his pain to deal with. He hadn't told his father....that for the past three years he had gained a rather cruel nickname......it made Strawberry welcomed....which was why....Ichigo shrugged and turned to walk up the stairs. "Whatever I'll be doing my homework." he said as pissily as he always did when it came to school...

Mujo did look up now though. He knew that Ichigo was always angry for a reason, knew that Ichigo was still dealing with the events that happened four years ago...and he also knew that human teenagers or teenagers in general could be painfully cruel. However, for Ichigo's sake, he had never indicated that hew knew any of this. If Ichigo ever wanted to talk, he would do it on his own...trying to pry and persuade it out of him would only serve to hurt their relationship.


So instead, he played another soft melody, but this time began to sing,

"Ningen wa zankokuna ikimono de,
Min'na no kanjō to issho ni ason Karera wa warai to saigen naku sasu anata no kokoro.

Chikaku ni hahen o hoji,
Watashi ga sakebu,
[" Ai wa omochade wa arimasen!"]

Warai-gao no umi o samayo~tsu,
Watashi wa mina no hanashi to shite, korera no ko gurai tsuku, kuratchi
[" To na no tsuita monsutā o mite kudasai. "]

Garasu no korera no tsubasawohirogete,
Watashi wa kūchū ni tobiagaru...

Chikaku ni hahen o hoj,i
Watashi ga sakebu,
[" Ai wa omochade wa arimasen!"]

Toshi ga keika shite iru,
Watashi wa koko kara miru,
To watashi wa karera ga iu no o kiku,
[" Ai wa omochade wa arimasen..."]

It was a short song, only lasting about two minutes, maybe a bit more, but it was a soft, slow melody that let Mujo's voice shine through. And when he finished, he didn't move to put his scythe down, or even move to see if anyone had heard, only sat there, holding his scythe.

Ichigo had stopped half way up the stairs. Figures Mujo knew he was pissed off for a reason that the teenagers of his school were cruel beings but he did pause and listen. His head bowed it was hard not to hear his father when he started singing despite his seeming anger at the world and everything around him he did stop. Keigo said he was worried Ichigo never mourned not true....he was still mourning because he couldn't let go. Those wounds that pain was not allowed to heal and yet.

Ichigo didn't turn around on the stairs simply went down to his knees on them kneeling there his back to Mujo head bowed. He didn't cry although tears collected in his eyes and threatened to fall threatened to rack his frame again make him scream in anguish. One hand held onto the railing with desperation as he knelt there. Words.....words of the song there meaning quiet clear. His shoulders tensed as if afraid that if he started now if he started crying in pain and anguish again what he had not done since the moment the cuffs were locked around his wrists and he was labeled filth by the police by his peers threatened to break free and start now and Ichigo feared....that if it started he wouldn't be able to stop. If one tear fell the dam would break and he would scream himself hoarse. He was still feeling hurt and raw from earlier from Ijime's words. He opened his mouth as if to say dad but no sound left his lips as if sealed for if sound did....it would be the screams of a fifteen year old teen who had been denied the right to mourn by everyone but the two who where now closest to him.

"Ningen wa zankokuna ikimono de..." he began lowly as he finally sat his scythe down and continued as he finally looked up at Ichigo, "Shikashi, sorera wa naibu no anata o korosu koto wa dekimasen"

He finally got up out of the chair and moved, walking up the stairs and wrapping his arms around Ichigo and hugged him close. "They're never going to stop being cruel...and you'll never stop missing them...but don't let them bring you down..." he told him lowly as he ran his hand through Ichigo's hair in a soothing manner.

'Humans are cruel beings...But Don't let them kill the you that's inside' Ichigo stiffened slightly he knew that in his own right before strong gentle arms were around him the arms of the man who he called father. Ichigo collapsed into him as if all the strength in his frame was gone and it was. The tears began to fall as he brought one hand up curling in the monks robe that Mujo wore. He cried the low 'screams' of anguish leaving him as he did. He cried and couldn't get it to stop as if as soon as Mujo grabbed him it was suddenly alright....to let out that pain that sorrow.

He wasn't sure how long he sat like that crying face turned into Mujo clinging to the man soo many considered cruel and insane and yet they didn't know him. Not like Ichigo and Zuma did. After felt like hours he finally calmed down some still clinging to Mujo as if suddenly allowing himself after all this time to cry.....had drained him and calmed down so much inside of him. "They....keep digging it back open....every time I think I can let go move on they re-dig open the wounds with words I know there words. And words should not hurt....but....it's like it never heals inside. I keep telling myself it doesn't matter I don't care....but..." he was talking about it that pain and sorrow for all these years that he kept bottled up. "But I'm not....I just....grew tired of beating the shit of them saying it....I'm not it....but nothing I do makes them stop..." he said hesitating on saying it. One what it was they called him....and the cruel words of how he must of slaughtered them or what his twin did or didn't do before she died.

Mujo hated to pry into Ichigo's feelings, hated to get himself involved in things that Ichigo fought so hard to work out on his own, but this was something that no one could fight against on their own...not even Mujo.

He let Ichigo stay like that as he ran his hands through his hair, letting him cry until he had stopped crying. When Ichigo spoke though, Mujo moved to look down at Ichigo and spoke lowly, "It's what humans do. They can't find any other way to make themselves feel better about their own lives, so they make other's lives worse than their own..."

It was a very true fact. Those who bullied and spread rumors were unhappy with their own lives, so in order to make themselves seem better, they pick on others to make their lives worse than their own.

"Telling the truth won't stop them...but neither will beating them up. You could kill them and maim them and it would still get you no where...if you tell them that you are what they say you are, and are still happy about your life, only then will they stop..."

Ichigo looked up at him looked at Mujo as he spoke as a man who had lived in this world as long as he said he had feeling fingers running through his hair how such an action could bring such great comfort. But golden brown met dull gray and Ichigo looked into them. "Kitanai Ketsueki" Ichigo said lowly as if he was calling Mujo that he wasn't. The insult of two such simple words on soo many levels. "I....can't tell them I am.....because I'm not....Kitanai Ketsueki." he said lowly as his head rested on Mujo's shoulder. The insult filthy blood, blood of his family soaked into him. Dirty a murderer. Muddled and soo many other things layered into one insult. Ichigo couldn't tell them he was...although if such an insult had a different meaning in the vampire world he didn't know. "Humans and Vampires alike both say it....have been since it happened. Although the vampires leer when they say it......they also talk about what they've done to Midori....before she died. I know there lies but it hurts worse then anything else they say to me." he said honestly.

Ichigo sighed. "I almost did.....one today he said indicated he raped Midori before she died....I nearly killed him.....Ingo....stopped me reminded me of who I am past the anger and rage I was feeling. But....part of me still wants to kill him in cold blood but if I do....I'll be well on my way to earning that nickname....earning the title of Kitanai Ketsueki...."

"Dirty Blood...it's usually what vampires call those who rape or kill a new born chylde...however, the term applies to vampires who commit unforgivable crimes against the king and his family as well...why the vampires started calling you that is beyond me...because the term has no real face value to the crimes you were accused of..." he explained lowly, shrugging at the last part.

It was true, being sentenced as a 'Dirty Blood' meant death by the king himself, but to label a human boy who committed no crimes against the royal family was honestly pointless and stupid.

"All they did was take a political term and apply it in the wrong way...of course, the humans took the term and use it far too loosely...they only use it because you indicate that it hurts you..."

Ichigo blinked and looked at Mujo he had done none of that and wouldn't before nodding and sighing. Although he was feeling better now he was tired and spent and his fangs ached which meant he and he knew it he was over expending himself like normal which ironically enough both Mujo and Zero said was normal for a newborn and he would be newborn until a year was up.

Ichigo looked at Mujo. "It has nothing at all to do with.....I feel stupid. Won't let it bother me....now that I know what it means." he said but it was amazing how he could let two words bother him so much without coming to talk to Mujo about it. Determined to handle it on his own. He sighed and yawned so much for doing homework he was ready to take a nap.....and worry about eating after he woke up. Problem was there were times when he felt like a kid comfortable where he was leaning against his father and not wanting to move and Ichigo really did take to calling Mujo dad rather easily not long after his families death. It just felt natural to him. "Still don't like that school.....but at least the teachers aren't assholes." he said meaning they didn't bust his ass over stupid shit. And like normal he was jumping topics because he was getting tired.