His voice shot up louder than he meant, and he hated how much Baby loved that reaction.
But it was warranted. Because Ichigo still remembered his dumbass drunken mistake yesterday.
Baby didn't miss the way Ichigo's entire body locked up in the seat.
"Oh-ho," Baby grinned, the kind of grin that promised nothing but suffering. "What was that? You got real panicked just now."
Ichigo clenched his jaw. "Nothing."
"Ohhh, no, no, no." Baby was having way too much fun with this. "That wasn't nothing. That was a deeply personal reaction."
The raven tilted its head, letting out a slow, amused click.
It was mocking him.
His glare snapped to the bird. "You do not get to take his side."
The raven blinked once. Then twice. Then let out the smuggest little croak Ichigo had ever heard.
Baby lost it.
He howled, head tipping back as his laughter filled the car, practically wheezing through his amusement. His hand thumped the steering wheel once, the car giving a small jerk forward before he recovered.
Ichigo exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand down his face as the urge to physically remove himself from this situation reached its peak. "You done?" His voice was flat, barely masking the headache forming behind his eyes.
Baby hummed, dragging the sound out for way too long, like he was really savoring the moment. "Mmmm... yeah, yeah. For now."
Ichigo rolled his eyes, forcing himself to relax back into the seat. He wasn't really pissed—not completely. But goddamn, Baby was insufferable when he got like this.
Still, as the car rumbled on, the laughter finally fading, Ichigo found himself asking before he could stop the words:
"...If you ever met them again... what would you do?"
Baby didn't answer right away. His fingers drummed against the steering wheel, slower this time, like he was trying to drown out whatever thoughts were crawling into his head. The usual ease in his posture was gone, replaced by something tenser, more controlled.
Ichigo watched him, waiting.
Then, Baby exhaled sharply through his nose. "I'd probably kill them."
His voice wasn't heated. There was no bravado, no cocky edge. Just a statement. Simple. Honest.
Ichigo's fingers twitched slightly. "You sure about that?"
Baby's grip on the wheel tightened just enough for Ichigo to notice. "No," he admitted. "But I think about it. A lot."
His jaw clenched, his next words heavier. "And maybe... maybe that's why I don't go looking. 'Cause if I do find them, if I see them again..." He trailed off, something flickering in his eyes—something colder. "I don't think I'll be able to stop myself."
Ichigo exhaled through his nose, not looking away. "And that scares you."
Baby scoffed, but it was weak. Hollow. "Yeah," he muttered, shaking his head. "Not 'cause I'm afraid of them. Not 'cause I am afraid of actually doing it. But because... if I do it, if I actually go through with it..." His fingers tapped against the wheel, restless. "Then that's it. I change. Not because of me. Not because I wanted to. But because they weren't there."
His smirk twitched onto his face, but it was empty, an instinct rather than anything real. "And if I change like that, if I drive down that road, I don't think there's a way back. No way to backpedal."
The car hummed as the city blurred past them, neon lights flashing through the windshield. Baby exhaled, long and slow, before a chuckle slipped out—quiet, lifeless.
"And trust me," he muttered, barely above a whisper, "backpedaling is important in a getaway... Always surprises the cops."
The silence that followed wasn't comfortable. It wasn't tense, either. Just there, stretching between them like a road neither of them wanted to go down.
Ichigo frowned, shifting in his seat. His fingers twitched against his knee before his voice cut through the quiet.
Huh I like him.
"How can you say that?" he asked, low but firm. "How can you even think that? They were your family."
Baby didn't look at him. His eyes stayed on the road, but something in his jaw tightened.
The raven on Ichigo's shoulder stirred, shifting its weight, talons pressing lightly against his jacket. It let out a quiet, warbling croak, its head tilting toward Baby like it was watching him now. Like it understood something Ichigo didn't.
Baby's lips pressed together before he finally scoffed. "Were," he said simply. "Key word."
Ichigo's brow furrowed. "That doesn't just go away."
Baby snorted, but there was no real amusement behind it. "Yeah? Tell that to them." His fingers flexed against the wheel, his grip tightening for a second before he forced it to relax. "Tell that to the people who saw me rotting in a cell and didn't even check if I was breathing."
His voice was still controlled, still level—but Ichigo could hear it. That edge, sharp and cold beneath the surface.
Ichigo shook his head. "But you still—"
Baby clicked his tongue, cutting him off. "Nah, nah, don't do that, Kurosaki. Don't sit there and act like I'm crazy for thinking this way. Like it's wrong to feel this." His grip on the wheel twitched again. "Tell me, would you be saying all this if your own family just left you? If they looked at you like you were nothing? Would you still be telling me I should 'hold onto the good times'?" He scoffed, shaking his head. "Bullshit."
Ichigo gritted his teeth, staring at him now. "But killing them—"
"Would be easy," Baby interrupted, his voice calm. Too calm. "That's the thing, Kurosaki. It'd be the easiest thing in the world."
His fingers curled over the leather of the wheel, knuckles white. "And that's why I don't want to find them... Because I — "
Baby exhaled sharply, gripping the wheel so tight Ichigo thought he might break it. His jaw clenched, his fingers tapping once—twice—against the leather before stilling completely.
The car didn't jerk, didn't drift, but Ichigo felt it. The tension. The way the vehicle reacted, almost alive in how it mirrored Baby's hesitation. Like it was waiting for something.
Baby sucked in a breath through his nose, steadying himself before his voice came, low and deliberate.
"...Because I know I won't stop myself."
The words hung between them, heavier than anything else he had said.
Ichigo didn't look away. Didn't flinch. His fingers curled slightly against his knee, a dull pressure grounding him as his mind ran over Baby's words.
The raven on his shoulder shifted, letting out a quiet, deliberate click. Not mocking. Not amused. Just watching.
Baby let out a slow exhale, his voice quieter now, like he was saying it more to himself than anyone else. "If I ever find them again... on purpose, by accident, doesn't matter. If I do—" His hands flexed around the wheel. "I want you to stop me."
Ichigo blinked, his frown deepening. "...What?"
Baby huffed a short breath, rolling his shoulders like he was shaking something off. "You heard me."
Ichigo studied him, the way his usual cocky demeanor had slipped, replaced by something sharper, rawer. It was rare for Baby to let anything real slip out, but here he was, saying something that sounded damn near close to a plea.
"Stop you how?" Ichigo asked, his voice cautious.
Baby finally glanced at him, eyes shadowed beneath the dim streetlights flickering through the windshield. "Any way you can."
Ichigo opened his mouth, ready to argue, to ask what the hell he was even saying—but Baby wasn't done.
"In return," Baby continued, his smirk creeping back, but this time it was smaller, almost bitter, "if you ever start thinking like me—if you ever get to the point where you wanna go down that road..." He flicked his fingers off the wheel, gesturing vaguely. "Then I'll stop you."
And now I don't like him.
Ichigo inhaled sharply, his grip tightening against his jeans.
The raven cawed softly, feathers ruffling. It was watching again.
Baby's smirk twitched, something knowing in his gaze as he tapped a slow rhythm against the wheel. "...We could even make it official."
Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "What the hell does that mean?"
Baby didn't answer right away. He just tilted his head slightly, like he was considering something, before finally chuckling under his breath.
"A binding vow."
Ichigo stilled.
Baby's smirk grew, this time with actual amusement. "Oh yeah, I know about yours," he drawled, watching Ichigo's expression shift. "Didn't think Kyra was the only one who knew how to make 'em, did you?"
Ichigo clenched his jaw, his mind running too fast.
Binding vows.
He didn't know all the details, but he knew enough. Knew that once you made one, you couldn't go back on it. That the vow held you to it in a way that went beyond words.
And Baby...
He was serious.
"You're insane," Ichigo muttered, running a hand through his hair, exhaling hard.
Baby just grinned wider, but his eyes stayed sharp. "Eh, maybe."
The car rumbled beneath them, the city stretching ahead in a blur of neon lights and empty streets. The weight of what he was proposing lingered in the air, thick, pressing down like an unseen force.
Ichigo shook his head, voice low and edged with disbelief. "You'd really go that far? You'd bind yourself to this?"
Baby scoffed, tapping his fingers against the wheel in a slow, deliberate rhythm. "Why not? Seems fair to me."
Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "Fair?"
"You stop me, I stop you." Baby shrugged, like it was the simplest thing in the world. "Mutual destruction, mutual protection. However you wanna look at it."
Ichigo exhaled sharply, gaze flicking toward the raven still perched on his shoulder. It hadn't made a sound since Baby started talking about this, but it was watching.
Not just observing—watching.
Like it was waiting for him to make a choice.
"...You're actually serious about this," Ichigo said, the realization settling deep.
Baby turned his head slightly, just enough to glance at Ichigo out of the corner of his eye. "Dead serious."
Ichigo leaned back against the seat, running a hand down his face. His stomach twisted with something he couldn't quite name—unease, maybe, or something heavier.
"You really think you're gonna run into them?" he asked, voice quieter now.
Baby let out a slow breath, his fingers stilling against the wheel.
"...No," he admitted. "I don't."
A beat.
"But if I do..." His voice trailed off, smirk twitching before falling away. "I don't trust myself."
Ichigo stared at him.
There it was. The truth behind all of it.
Baby wasn't just asking for insurance. He was asking for a failsafe. For something to stop him from becoming what he already knew he could be.
Ichigo's fingers flexed slightly.
Because for all his talk, for all his bravado, he understood that better than anyone.
He remembers when his hollow took him over multiple times.
The raven ruffled its feathers, letting out a low, knowing caw.
Ichigo closed his eyes for a second before exhaling. "...Fine."
Baby arched a brow. "That's a yes?"
"It's a maybe," Ichigo muttered, scowling. "I'm not agreeing to some weird-ass soul contract in the middle of a damn car ride."
Baby chuckled, rolling his shoulders. "Alright, alright. No pressure."
Ichigo let out a slow breath, rubbing the back of his neck as he stared out the windshield. The city lights blurred past, neon reflections stretching across the glass. The weight of the conversation sat heavy between them, unspoken but impossible to ignore.
Then, finally, Ichigo asked, "Why me?"
Baby didn't react at first, just kept his grip loose on the wheel, eyes still locked ahead. But Ichigo knew he heard him. He could feel it in the way the air in the car subtly shifted, like the weight of the question had settled between them.
Then Baby exhaled, slow and measured. "Why not you?"
Ichigo's brow furrowed. "Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"That thing where you dodge a real answer with some bullshit response."
Baby chuckled, but it was faint, almost like a reflex. "Kurosaki, every answer is bullshit. The world's just made of different flavors of it."
Ichigo wasn't in the mood.
"Cut the crap," he muttered. "You could ask Kyra, Yukio, anyone else. So why me?"
Baby didn't even hesitate.
"Because of your vibes."
Silence.
The car hummed beneath them, the city lights streaking past in long, unfocused blurs.
Ichigo blinked.
The raven blinked.
For a moment, it was like the weight of the conversation, the tension thick enough to suffocate, had just been drop-kicked into the void.
"...What?" Ichigo deadpanned, staring at Baby like he had lost his damn mind.
The raven let out a single, flat croak—somehow managing to sound just as unimpressed as Ichigo felt.
Baby grinned, but there was no real mischief behind it, just the casual ease of someone who knew he was pissing Ichigo off.
"What? It's true." He tapped the wheel, rolling his shoulders. "You got that whole 'quiet brooding antihero with a tragic backstory' thing going on. Makes you the obvious choice."
Ichigo stared. "You're choosing a failsafe—a literal life-or-death agreement—based on vibes?"
Baby smirked. "Damn right."
Ichigo inhaled slowly through his nose, pressing two fingers to his temple like he was physically restraining himself from launching Baby through the windshield. "I hate you."
"Yeah, yeah," Baby waved him off lazily, like this was the most casual conversation in the world. Then, as if he hadn't just proposed something insane, he continued—
"So, wanna listen to some music?"
Something in Ichigo snapped.
"HOW THE HELL CAN YOU JUST CHANGE THE ENTIRE CONVERSATION LIKE THAT?!"
The car swerved.
From the outside, it must've looked like a brief moment of absolute chaos—a sharp, jerky swerve before snapping back into a straight path, the tires skidding just slightly before Baby regained control.
Inside the car?
Baby was still driving.
Just now with half of his sunglasses shattered, one lens missing, and a fresh black eye already forming.
He blinked once, adjusting the half-broken glasses like they were still perfectly functional, then sighed through his nose.
"You know," he said, tone maddeningly casual, "you really shouldn't punch the driver when he's driving. Pretty basic advice. Might save your life one day."
Ichigo, still seething, crossed his arms and glared out the window, the raven was now glaring at Baby. "I stand by my decision."
"Of course you do," Baby muttered, rolling his jaw slightly as if testing whether it was still intact. "Damn, man. You got a good right hook for a guy who's running on, what, two hours of sleep and an accidental hangover?"
"Shut up," Ichigo muttered.
Baby exhaled through his nose, tapping a button on the dashboard. "Anyway," he continued, like the last ten seconds hadn't happened, " Let's see..."
The speakers crackled to life.
And then—
The opening notes of "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence blasted through the car.
Ichigo froze.
Baby immediately grinned, despite the forming bruise on his face. "Oh yeah. This is the one."
Ichigo visibly considered punching him again.
But he did agree.
The song definitely did woke him up
Not that he would admit that
Instead, he settled for a slow exhale through his nose, arms crossed, gaze locked out the window as if that would somehow remove Baby from existence.
"...You actually listen to this?" he muttered.
Baby scoffed, one hand tapping along the wheel in perfect rhythm with the beat. "Hell yeah, I do. You telling me you don't?"
Ichigo shifted in his seat. "Didn't say that."
Baby's smirk widened. "Mmm. So you do listen to it."
Ichigo shot him a flat look. "I didn't say that either."
Baby snorted, shaking his head. "Man, just admit it. We all had that one emo phase."
Ichigo shot him a look. "You still look like you're in one."
Baby gasped dramatically, placing a hand over his heart. "Wow. Rude."
Ichigo rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth twitched—just slightly. He looked back out the window as the song blasted on, the lyrics hitting harder than he wanted to admit.
Baby, meanwhile, tapped the steering wheel again, clearly enjoying himself. "Alright, since you're clearly too stubborn to answer directly—"
"I'm not," Ichigo muttered.
"—what do you listen to?" Baby continued like he hadn't spoken.
Ichigo frowned, thinking about it. "...I don't know. Whatever's on."
Baby let out a long, suffering sigh. "Wow. Riveting answer. Incredible depth." He shot Ichigo a deadpan look before focusing back on the road. "C'mon, man. There's gotta be something. First song that ever stuck with you? One that got in your head and never left?"
Ichigo hesitated for a moment before muttering, "...Maybe 'News From the Front.'"
Baby blinked. "Bad Religion?"
Ichigo shrugged. "Yeah."
Baby grinned. "Damn, Kurosaki. Didn't peg you for a punk rock guy."
Ichigo scoffed. "What? You think I only listen to sad piano shit?"
Baby hummed. "I was getting more of a 'melancholic jazz' vibe from you, yeah."
Ichigo groaned. "You're the worst."
"And yet, you're still in my car," Baby shot back. "And now you have to keep answering my questions. So—" he shifted gears, smoothly gliding through the near-empty streets, "—you ever think about making your own song?"
Ichigo blinked, turning his head slightly. "...What?"
Baby arched a brow, smirking again. "You heard me. Ever think about writing one? I mean, you gotta admit—your life's got enough drama for at least a triple-platinum album."
Ichigo shook his head, but a flicker of something surfaced in his mind. Something old, buried. A distant memory he hadn't thought about in years.
His fingers twitched slightly against his knee.
"...Maybe once," he admitted.
Baby perked up immediately. "Oh? Do tell."
Ichigo exhaled, rolling his shoulders like he was physically shaking off the hesitation. "...It was when I was a kid. After I won my first karate match."
Baby tilted his head slightly, interest piqued. "Huh. Didn't know you did karate."
Ichigo hummed. "Yeah. My mom signed me up when I was little. Said I needed to learn discipline." His voice softened slightly. "...She was probably right."
Baby didn't comment on that. Just let Ichigo talk.
Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck, a bit embarrassed now that he was actually saying it out loud. "Anyway. I was just a kid, but after I won, I felt like... I don't know. Like I was on top of the world. Like nothing could touch me." He let out a short breath, almost a laugh. "For the first time, I felt like the guy. Like I was Number One."
Baby blinked.
Then slowly, slowly, his grin stretched wide.
Ichigo immediately regretted saying anything.
"Ohhh no way," Baby exhaled, nearly wheezing. "You're not telling me that you tried to write Number One before it even existed."
Ichigo groaned. "Shut up."
Baby laughed, actually laughed, his head tipping back slightly. "Oh my god. This is incredible. The irony, the foreshadowing, the poetic bullshit of it all—"
Ichigo gritted his teeth. "I swear to god, I will throw myself out of this car."
Baby gasped, all mock offense. "You'd abandon me after you just agreed to be my baby brother? Wow. Cold, Kurosaki. Cold."
Ichigo slammed his head against the seat, inhaling sharply. "I hate you."
Baby, still grinning ear to ear, turned the volume up.
The song swelled again, and as the chorus hit, Baby dramatically sang along, "WAKE ME UP INSIDE—"
Ichigo groaned so loud it nearly drowned out the music.
The raven, still perched on his shoulder, let out a slow, deliberate caw.
It sounded like laughter.
Ichigo clenched his jaw so hard he swore his teeth might crack.
Baby was enjoying this. Way too much.
And worse—so was the damn bird.
He could feel the raven's feathers ruffle against his cheek, its beady little eyes staring at him with amusement. It let out another slow, smug croak, and Ichigo swore, if it had the ability, it would be smirking right now.
Baby, still absolutely thriving off Ichigo's suffering, continued singing at full volume, voice dramatically terrible on purpose. "CALL MY NAME AND SAVE ME FROM THE DARK—"
Ichigo twitched. "I will crash this car."
Baby smirked, tilting his head. "You're welcome to try, but—" he tapped the dashboard, "—we both know she listens to me more than you."
The car purred.
Ichigo glared at it, like it had personally betrayed him.
Baby cackled. "Face it, Kurosaki. I own the aux, I own the road, and you—" he pointed at Ichigo with the biggest shit-eating grin possible "—have no control here."
Ichigo exhaled through his nose, his patience hanging on by a thread. "That's it."
Baby blinked. "Huh?"
Ichigo lunged for the volume knob.
"HEY—"
Baby swerved slightly, yanking the wheel as Ichigo wrestled for control, both of them grappling for the dial like children fighting over a remote.
"You had your fun, turn it down—"
"Nah, nah, I earned this—"
"You—"
"Damn, for a guy who wrote his own victory theme, you're really opposed to a little—"
"I WAS SEVEN!"
The raven, entirely unbothered by the sheer chaos unfolding in the front seat, let out a loud caw before casually hopping onto Baby's head.
Baby froze.
Ichigo froze.
The car swerved again.
Baby's smirk twitched. "...Kurosaki."
Ichigo blinked, taking in the image before him.
Baby. Gripping the wheel with one hand.
The raven. Comfortably perched on his head.
The absolute look of betrayal in Baby's eyes as he slowly turned his head to Ichigo, like he had just been personally wronged.
"...Get your demon bird off me."
Ichigo, against all logic, grinned.
"Ohhh no way," he exhaled, nearly wheezing. "You're scared of a bird?"
Baby's jaw tensed. "I am not scared. I just—"
The raven clicked its beak right next to his ear.
Baby twitched.
Ichigo lost it.
"Holy shit." He actually laughed, dragging a hand down his face. "You—oh my god. This is incredible. The irony, the foreshadowing, the poetic bullshit of it all—"
Baby scowled at him, reaching up to swat at the raven, but it casually sidestepped his hand like it had been expecting it.
Ichigo was still wheezing. "I swear to god, I will record this."
Baby growled. "I hate you."
Ichigo smirked. "Yeah, yeah. You hate a lot of things."
Baby let out a long suffering sigh before jerking the wheel slightly, sending the car into a smooth, controlled drift. The force of it had the raven squawking and launching off his head, swooping gracefully back onto Ichigo's shoulder.
Ichigo smirked. "Wow. That was dramatic."
Baby rolled his shoulders, getting comfortable again. "Had to establish dominance."
Ichigo snorted. "Over a bird?"
Baby deadpanned. "It started it."
The raven fluffed up its feathers in a way that felt... deeply smug.
Ichigo smirked, adjusting in his seat. "...So about that music—"
Baby, still recovering from the absolute disrespect he had just endured, shot him a glare. "Oh, now you wanna talk about music? After your demon bird just asserted dominance on me?"
Ichigo hummed thoughtfully, tapping a finger against his knee. "Who knew you were so scared of ravens?"
Baby whipped his head toward him so fast Ichigo half-expected the sunglasses to fly off. "You goddamn right I'm scared of ravens—" he jabbed a finger at the bird, "—who can ram through actual demons like a damn bullet.*"
Ichigo snorted, crossing his arms. "So what, if it was just a normal raven, you'd be fine?"
Baby scoffed. "Of course I would—"
The raven clicked its beak.
Baby twitched.
Ichigo grinned, leaning back in his seat. "Yeah, sure. Totally fine."
Baby grumbled something under his breath before dragging a hand down his face. "Whatever. I'm ignoring this entire situation."
Ichigo smirked. "I highly doubt that."
Baby huffed. "I will ignore it out of sheer spite."
The raven cawed again, and Ichigo swore it sounded amused.
Baby clenched the wheel. "Anyway—music." He exhaled, shaking off the absolute mental damage he had just taken. "So. You brought it up, Kurosaki. Now you gotta answer."
Ichigo arched a brow. "Answer what?"
Baby gestured vaguely, smirking again. "C'mon, man. What's your anthem?"
Ichigo frowned slightly. "Anthem?"
"Yeah. Y'know. That song. The one you blast at full volume when you need to feel like a badass."
Ichigo exhaled, staring out the windshield. "...Never really thought about it."
Baby let out a sharp scoff. "Oh, bullshit. You have to have one."
Ichigo shifted, his fingers drumming lightly against his knee. "...I guess I just don't listen to music that much."
Baby's jaw dropped. "You're joking."
Ichigo side-eyed him. "What? It's not like I never listen to it—I just don't really think about it."
Baby threw both hands off the wheel dramatically for half a second, the car perfectly steady regardless. "You are telling me you don't have a single song that makes you feel like you could punch God?"
Ichigo scoffed. "That is not how I pick music."
Baby gasped in sheer offense. "Then how the hell do you pick music?!"
Ichigo exhaled through his nose. "I just... listen to whatever's on."
Baby made a sound that could only be described as a betrayed wheeze. "Kurosaki."
Ichigo sighed, rubbing his temple. "What?"
Baby gestured aggressively. "You mean to tell me you don't have one song—one song—that makes you wanna throw hands with the universe?"
Ichigo frowned, actually thinking about it. "...No?"
Baby slammed the brakes again.
Ichigo jerked forward, barely catching himself against the dashboard. "For the love of—"
"HOW HAVE YOU LIVED LIKE THIS?!"
Ichigo scowled, shooting him a dead look. "If you slam the brakes one more time—"
Ichigo barely had time to breathe before the car suddenly veered to the side, taking a turn way too fast before coming to a stop so abrupt he thought for a second he might have left his soul behind.
His hands slammed against the dashboard, his skull rattling from the whiplash. "WHAT THE HELL—"
Before he could even finish, the driver's side door swung open, and Baby was gone.
Ichigo blinked.
Then, before he could fully process what had just happened—
Baby was back.
Except now he was holding—
Ichigo blinked again.
A brand-new mp3 player—a nice one, the kind that looked like it cost more than the damn car. And a pair of high-end headphones that probably had better audio quality than reality itself.
"...What," Ichigo started, voice flat, "the actual hell just happened?"
Baby grinned, plopping the items straight into Ichigo's lap. "Problem solved, Kurosaki."
Ichigo stared at the mp3 player like it had personally offended him. "You literally just—" He ran a hand through his hair, inhaling sharply. "How?"
"I have my ways." Baby smirked, shoving the keys back into the ignition like he hadn't just committed an inexplicable act of speed-running an entire shopping trip.
Ichigo lifted the mp3 player, turning it slightly, his brow furrowing. "...This thing is already full of songs."
Baby shot him a look, eyebrows raising behind his half-broken sunglasses. "Obviously. You think I'd hand you an empty player? What kind of sociopath do you take me for?"
Ichigo exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "No, I mean..." He stared down at the mp3 player, turning it in his hands like it might suddenly explain itself.
Then he sighed, dragging a hand down his face. "Ah, screw it..." His grip on the device tightened slightly before he muttered, "Thanks."
Baby smirked, already knowing he had won.
Ichigo shot him a flat look. "And I'm not even gonna ask where the hell you got it from."
Baby gasped in mock offense, placing a dramatic hand over his heart. "Wow. Zero faith. Absolutely no trust in me, your beloved big brother."
Ichigo visibly twitched. "You are not my brother."
Baby hummed, tapping the wheel. "Sounds like something a little brother would say."
Ichigo clenched his jaw, inhaling deeply through his nose like it might physically stop him from committing vehicular homicide.
The raven on his shoulder let out a slow, mocking click.
Ichigo pointed at it without looking. "Not. A word."
The raven just stared at him.
Baby grinned. "Even your ghost bird agrees with me."
Ichigo muttered something profoundly unholy under his breath and shoved the headphones over his ears, snapping the mp3 player on without another word.
BIG. MISTAKE.
Because the second he pressed play—
"WAKE ME UP—"
Ichigo ripped the headphones off so fast he nearly yanked the cord out. "ARE YOU SERIOUS?"
Baby was dying.
"PFFT— Oh my god—HA! You fell for it!"
Ichigo glared. "You set me up."
"Absolutely," Baby confirmed, completely delighted.
Ichigo inhaled deeply—then, without warning, launched the headphones at Baby's face.
"OW—" Baby swerved slightly, catching them at the last second. "Dude! Expensive!"
"So was my patience, and you just burned through the last of it," Ichigo deadpanned, crossing his arms.
Baby huffed dramatically, adjusting the volume before tossing the headphones back at him. "Alright, alright—no more pranks. For now."
Ichigo rolled his eyes but slid them back over his ears, cautiously this time, half-expecting another ambush.
Instead—
The steady, unmistakable bassline of Seven Nation Army filled his ears.
Ichigo blinked.
Baby smirked. "Better?"
Ichigo leaned back, arms crossed. "Acceptable."
Baby chuckled, shifting gears. "See? I got taste."
Ichigo hummed, letting the music settle.
But then—
Baby grinned again. "So, now that you're all set up—" he glanced over—what's next on Kurosaki's grand adventure?*"
Ichigo exhaled. "Surviving this car ride without murdering you would be a start."
Baby laughed, tapping the wheel. "Aim high, my guy. Aim high."
The raven cawed once, like it was way too entertained by all of this.
Ichigo muttered, "I hate you both."
Ichigo exhaled through his nose, letting the music settle as the city lights blurred past.
Then—his fingers twitched.
Wait.
His head snapped toward the backseat.
The bags.
The groceries.
The ingredients.
His hour-long time limit.
"Shit—" Ichigo shot upright, tugging the headphones off. "We need to get back—"
Baby raised an eyebrow. "The hell just happened? You get hit with divine inspiration or—"
"No, dumbass—" Ichigo ran a hand through his hair, his pulse already picking up. "*The groceries. My time limit. If we don't get back soon, that virtual kitchen Yukio set up is gonna *disappear.**"
Baby blinked. Then he grinned.
"Ohhh," he exhaled, stretching out the sound. "So now you're on a time crunch?*"
Ichigo's eye twitched. "YES."
Baby tapped the wheel. "And if we don't make it?"
"Then I just wasted money, energy, and my will to live."
Baby let out a sharp, exaggerated gasp. "Oh no. Not your will to live. However will we recover?"
"BA—."
"Alright, alright—" Baby snickered, flexing his fingers over the wheel. "You want speed? You got speed."
Ichigo barely had time to react before—
The engine roared.
The tires screeched.
The car lunged forward like a beast unleashed, slipping through traffic with a smooth, controlled precision that was way too fast to be legal.
Ichigo slammed a hand against the roof. "WHAT THE HELL—"
Baby grinned, adjusting his sunglasses despite the growing bruise. "Hold onto your groceries, Kurosaki."
The raven let out a sharp, startled caw, its talons clenching against Ichigo's shoulder like miniature daggers. Each curved claw pressed through the fabric of his jacket, and pressing against his skin, cutting into it.
The city outside blurred into streaks of neon, smearing past like a watercolor painting caught in a storm. The car surged forward, weaving through the streets with a reckless ease that made it feel less like driving and more like flying.
Ichigo clenched his jaw. "I swear, if we die, I'm haunting you."
Baby chuckled. "Joke's on you, Kurosaki. I'd be the one driving the getaway car in hell."
The car drifted around a turn.
Ichigo inhaled sharply, forcing himself to stay calm, but his grip on the door handle definitely tightened.
"You're enjoying this way too much."
Baby smirked. "Oh, absolutely."
Ichigo rolled his shoulders, shifting in his seat.
To be fair, he could eat some of the ingredients raw. He had grabbed fruit—just in case. Worst case scenario, he'd live off that.
But still—
A real meal would be better.
And besides...
Sounds like a fun challenge.
Ichigo's fingers twitched slightly against his knee, an old, familiar itch settling in his chest.
It had been years since he last cooked something proper. Since he had a reason to. He wasn't some master chef, but he wasn't clueless either.
He let out a slow exhale.
Let's see how rusty I've gotten.
Another sharp turn pulled him from his thoughts, the warehouse district coming into view.
"Alright, we're almost—"
Then, Ichigo felt it.
A flicker.
A presence.
Not quite Reiatsu. Not quite normal.
His gaze snapped toward a nearby alleyway as they passed—
And for a split second—
He saw it.
A shadow.
Something—someone—standing perfectly still in the dark.
Watching.
His chest tightened. His fingers twitched, as he was about to reach out.
Then, in the blink of an eye—
She was gone.
Ichigo's stomach clenched, something deep and instinctual curling up inside him.
Baby must've noticed his shift in energy because his smirk thinned slightly. "Something wrong?"
Ichigo didn't answer immediately, eyes still locked on the alleyway as they sped past.
Slowly, he exhaled, forcing himself to relax.
"...Nothing."
Baby side-eyed him but didn't push. "If you say so."
The car pulled up to the warehouse just as Ichigo's mental timer ticked down.
As his mind is still on seeing hims—
Ichigo stoped thinking as he tried to open the door, but found it locked, and when he tried again, he sighed seeing t not budge and he turned to Baby who was looking expectantly...
" What ? "
Was the only thing Ichigo could ask, wondering what the hell baby wants now.
No. Ichigo shut it down, shaking it off as he reached for the door handle.
Only to find it locked.
Frowning, he tried again. The handle barely budged.
Ichigo sighed, tilting his head toward Baby, who was watching him. Waiting.
"...What?"
Baby leaned against the wheel, grinning. "Oh, I dunno. Just wondering how much you really wanna get out of my car."
Ichigo narrowed his eyes, already done with whatever this was. "Unlock the door."
Baby hummed, drumming his fingers against the wheel. "Nah, see, I could. But I feel like this is a prime opportunity for you to ask nicely."
Ichigo's patience hit the floor.
"Baby."
"Ichigo."
"Open the damn door."
Baby tapped his chin like he was deep in thought. "Mmm... see, I could, but—"
Ichigo grabbed the handle again and yanked. It didn't budge.
Baby smirked. "Y'know, if you say please, I might consider it—"
Ichigo's eye twitched.
The raven on his shoulder let out an unimpressed caw.
Baby pointed at it. "See? Even your weird bird is watching, waiting to see if you have manners."
Ichigo clenched his jaw, took a deep breath, and—
The door handle shattered in his grip.
Baby blinked. "...Dude."
Ichigo exhaled, dropping what remained of the handle onto the seat. "Your fault."
Baby stared at the broken piece, then at Ichigo, then back at the door. Finally, he let out a low whistle, shaking his head.
"Damn. That was expensive."
Ichigo didn't even blink. "Not my problem."
Baby hummed, rubbing his chin. "You know, technically, since you broke it, you owe me a favor now."
Ichigo shot him a deadpan look. "That's not how that works."
Baby grinned. "Oh, but it is, my dear baby brother."
Ichigo's eye twitched. "I am not—"
Baby finally clicked the unlock button. The door popped open.
Ichigo wasted no time, stepping out of the car without another word, slamming the door behind him.
The raven flapped its wings, hopping onto his shoulder with an air of smug satisfaction.
Baby rolled down the window, still grinning like the smug bastard he was.
"Hey, don't be mad! That was character development!"
Ichigo stopped mid-step, slowly turning back with a look of pure, simmering disbelief.
"...What the hell are you talking about?"
Baby hummed, tapping the side of his car like he hadn't just caused a minor incident. "Oh, y'know. Personal growth. Lessons learned. Doors broken. A real cinematic moment." He smirked. "Would've made for a great mid-season episode."
Ichigo exhaled sharply through his nose, rubbing his temple. "You are an actual problem."
Baby only laughed, then—before Ichigo could turn away again—his smirk shifted, just slightly.
"But, speaking of debts..." He tapped the wheel, his tone turning just a little more deliberate. "Since you do owe me for that handle, you might as well put some thought into what we talked about earlier."
Ichigo blinked.
Baby's grin didn't waver, but his eyes—sharp, waiting—lingered on Ichigo's face, watching for a reaction. "Y'know. About that binding vow I joked about."
Ichigo didn't respond immediately. His fingers flexed slightly at his side, and for a brief second, his mind replayed their conversation from the drive.
You stop me, I stop you.
His jaw tightened.
Then, finally—he exhaled, rolling his shoulders like he was physically shaking off whatever weight had settled there.
"Yeah," he muttered. "I'll think about it."
Baby nodded, satisfied. "Good."
Ichigo turned again, ready to walk off, but—
He hesitated.
Just for a second.
Then, without looking back, he muttered, low but clear—
"...Thanks."
A pause.
And then, as an afterthought—
"Shitty brother."
Baby let out a sharp bark of laughter, knocking his fist against the side of his car. "Damn right."
With that, Ichigo strode off, the raven adjusting its perch on his shoulder with an almost approving little click.
Baby watched him go, then leaned back, stretching his arms behind his head. His smirk lingered, but there was something quieter beneath it.
"...Yeah," he muttered to himself, tapping the wheel again. "He'll think about it."
Then, with a slow exhale, he shifted gears, the engine purring beneath him as he pulled away from the warehouse, disappearing into the neon-lit streets.
Inside the warehouse, Ichigo barely made it through the entrance before the raven clicked its beak, shifting its weight like it had something to say.
Ichigo sighed, side-eyeing it. "What?"
The raven ruffled its feathers.
Ichigo scowled. "Don't give me that look."
It cawed.
Ichigo groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. Maybe I did like the guy a little."
As he adjusted the headset on his neck.
The raven cawed again.
"Shut up."
...
To be continued !
Sorry for being gone for a while, the next update will be soon hopefully.
Anyways.
Heres the discord link - https://discord.gg/7SwQYNR9z3