Chapter Text
Chad is laying in bed looking up at his bedroom ceiling staring at moonlight shine on the popcorn ceiling. The last two nights have been the worst nightmares he has ever experienced in his life. He has never been plagued with a nightmare such as this, where they are so brutal and intense it leaves his whole being in twisted nerves. He doesn’t normally have bad dreams or even dream, not since things have been back to normal and the Fullbringers were defeated.
These nightmares are too realistic, and he's questioning if something else is at play.
His recollection of his dream last night makes him turn on his bed, there’s no way he will sleep tonight despite his exhaustion.
Chad is in a place similar to Hueco Mundo, everywhere around him are large sand dunes and a full moon shining down. He doesn’t notice anything else around him. His breath is knocked out of him as he is thrown to the ground by a massive force, unable to see as he crashes to the ground he can only hear the snarles that follow before he feels the pain. He turns and finds an animal looking creature, dark red skin but the body of a large wolf with a snout like face resembling that of a boar, but he can’t get up, then the creature is on top of him and bites down into his side, the worse pain he ever feels burns his side. Chad struggles to get away but it’s like all his strength is being drained. He uses his free hand to try and push the thing away but it clenches down it’s bite even harder and this time Chad screams.
He jolts up in his bed screaming.
The amount of sweat soaking his sheets has him panicked for a minute thinking it may be blood but once he turns on his lights and the nightmare starts to fades he finally stops shaking. It felt so real, he grips his aching side, he would have thought maybe he was actually attacked while asleep but after checking himself over he realizes he is fine.
That was the second night in a row that he had this nightmare of the same creature attacking him.
What he remembers of the animal like creature, snarling at him, is the way it looked like something out of hell. It reminded him of the folktales his abuelo would tell him as a child to scare him from ever wandering the fields alone at night while he was in Mexico.
Chad sighs and sits up in his bed and looks out the window, it’s really late now, but he does wonder if he should pay a visit to Urahara and just update him on this reoccurring dream. He needs to tell someone. He clenches his fists, something in his gut tells him this isn’t normal and not only that….
He has no one else.
Chad swallows down the guilt he still carries from when he was manipulated into going against Ichigo because of Tsukishima. He won’t go bothering his friend now with anything, not again, he hasn’t earned that right. Even though Ichigo has long since forgiven Chad he hasn’t forgiven himself. And probably never will…
He gets up, puts on his jacket, and decides to go for a walk, and if Urahara’s shop looks open he will see what the guy has to say, if not then at least he got a walk out of it. Chad leaves his apartment, and takes a deep breath of the mild March air, it's the perfect temperature for this time of year. He starts down the quiet road, the bright moon shines overhead illuminating his way through the side streets that have no lights. He makes it to the main road, the yellow light at the intersection is blinking, and no cars are around. The only sound is a train passing in the distance while the night sky starts to cloud over.
Chad is finally in front of the shoten and spots Ichigo sitting on the ground in the corner. He looks up in surprise as Chad approaches.
“Chad, what’re you doing here?”
Chad hesitates, he doesn’t want to lie, but he also doesn’t want to be a burden. He looks over at his friend and notices that he looks miserable, his hair is a mess and he isn’t even in his human body. His sword is leaning up against the shoten.
“What happened to you?” He asks.
“Nothing.” Ichigo’s light tone shifts to a dull monotone.
“Oh..” Chad sits beside him and looks down. “How long have you been waiting?”
“Couple hours.”
“Oh..”
They go into a silence and they both continue to sit and wait.
—————-
Urahara wakes up and goes into the kitchen and makes them all some tea, he looks over at Tessai who is looking over some catalogues.
“Anything we should get?”
“I’m marking them down, we may need two trips this time.” Tessai says and jots down another item on their inventory list.
Ururu pokes her head into the kitchen, “Chad and Ichigo are asleep in the front of the shop.”
“Hmm?” Urahara looks up from his tea, “Interesting.” He hadn’t detected any problems last night other than Kon coming in looking battered. But the Mod Soul didn’t leak anything, which is unusual since Kon is the first one to complain and gossip. And Urahara did try, even bribed the Mod Soul with some goodies, but he wouldn’t budge. After Tessai healed Kon he took off in a hurry with Ichigo’s body and not even staying for tea.
Something is definitely going on, and Yoruichi is out of town, which means he’s going to have to do some investigating himself. He puts on his hat and picks up his fan and heads out.
—————-
“Well well well!” Urahara’s voice booms above him.
Ichigo snaps awake from the loud voice and sits up stretching his arms and legs. His body aching all over from the awkward position he slept in. He looks over to find Chad also sitting up looking awful from a horrible nights sleep.
The shopkeeper waves his fan, “What are you two doing here so early?”
Ichigo frowns and doesn’t say anything and neither does Chad. Ichigo had dinner at Orihime’s then left and walked around town the rest of the night before deciding to head to the shoten. He looks over at Chad wondering what the reason for his being here was.
“Not all at once now,” Urahara sighs, “Come on in and have some tea you two. Then we can discuss why you both decided to sleep on the ground in front of my shop like two homeless people last night.”
They all take seat in the living room and Ururu gives them both tea and leaves shutting the door behind her. Tessai and Urahara sit across from them with questionable expressions.
Ichigo takes a sip but Chad doesn’t bother touching his.
“As much as this is a nice visit… Why are you here?” Urahara asks.
“Come off it Hat’N’Clogs, can’t we visit our favorite shop keeper?” Ichigo asks annoyed.
Tessai’s glasses flash, “If that’s the case, we have some work you both can help with.”
Chad looks down at his tea and nods.
“Don’t agree so easily Chad, I feel like you’re trying to interrogate us. Is something going on?” Ichigo asks, narrowing his eyes at Urahara.
“My my, a little defensive. Wouldn’t you say, Tessai?” Urahara chuckles then his smile drops and he snaps down his fan, “Kon came in here pretty beat up, you know anything about that?”
Ichigo’s face goes pale, “What?”
He told that dumb Mod Soul to stay and watch over his sisters! Ichigo tries to school his features as he tries to calm his frustration. He completely forgot that Kon would be feeling his father’s punishment once he had him take over. Damnit!
“Took a while for your body to be healed but Kon took it like a champ, didn’t say a word about it, it was most peculiar.” Urahara is giving Ichigo his knowing stare.
Ichigo feels Chad’s eyes on him as well. “No idea.”
“And what about you Chad, what would bring you away from your cozy bed to sleep at the front of our lovely shop in the middle of the night?” Urahara turns his sharp stare to Chad.
Ichigo frowns and turns to stare at his friend as well and notices his hands are slightly trembling. Chad seems to as well as he puts his hands under the table.
“I just couldn’t sleep.” Chad mumbles.
Everyone is silent for a moment.
“Well, I am sure that both of you know by now just how old I actually am and that I can smell this kinda bullshit very well. But you don’t wanna tell me, that’s fine.” Urahara sighs and stands up. “We do have things you can help us out with today, maybe it will take your mind off whatever it is that is bothering you two.”
Ichigo and Chad stand up and follow Tessai.
Urahara frowns, something’s going on alright…