Title: Good Vibrations

Rating: PG-13

Pairing : Ichigo x Shirosaki

Word Count 5300

Author's Note : You'll probably need to read Indissoluble before you read this one. They're going in order of seasons! I'm so clever (riiiiight)

Summer was slowly melting into the folds of autumn's robes, leaving only a few lingering days of vague heat before the chill would take over and there would be no more summer parties and get-togethers. The leaves of the trees were beginning to grow heavy, the first hints of color shimmering at their edges as they prepared to fall. Soon the first typhoons of the season would be coming, effectively ending summer's hold on the countryside.

Ichigo liked this time of year, finding it more comfortable than the dreary days of mid-summer when he never seemed to stop sweating. There was a certain magic to the way the world seemed to slow down, even the scents floating through the air were more subdued, quiet…a laid-back peace that Ichigo desperately sought out when he wasn't attempting to save the world. If he didn't take time to enjoy those small things he'd probably wind up going insane.

If he wasn't going flat out crazy already.

It was those late-summer smells, soft and warm, that drifted through his open window as Ichigo rummaged through the top drawer of his bureau searching for a pair of lost sunglasses. He could have sworn that he'd seen the things only the prior week, a large pair of dark blue glasses that probably covered half his face. He hadn't really liked them when he first saw them, but after much prodding from Yuzu that that they really were his style, he had given in and bought them. Much to his surprise, they had become a favorite.

Now they were lost.

"Dammit," he said under his breath, slamming that drawer closed and pulling open the next one. "I bet Kon went out in my body and sat on them or something."

A call from downstairs drew his attention away from his search and pulled a frustrated sigh from the back of his throat. The girls were getting impatient to leave and he'd promised to take them out for the day. He'd just have to find those shades later. With that thought in mind he grabbed a different pair (that pretty much looked the same) off his desk and shoved them over his eyes, bounding down the stairs, skipping two at a time until he'd reached the bottom.

As soon as the front door slammed, silence once more descended on the house, not a creature was stirring…not even a…

It began as nothing more than the shifting of air, almost like watching heat rise up from concrete, the image blurry and barely visible. Slowly it pulled itself from the shadows of Ichigo's floor, the wall, the air becoming heavy as the apparition dragged itself into physical being. There was no sound, not really, but if you had strained your hearing you might have imagined the soft sound of pulling, like holding silk at both ends and tugging at it.

The tension in the room was becoming stifling, palpable, until finally a sound like glass shattering filled the room and Shirosaki stood where the shifting had been. He slumped for a moment, his hand reaching out to catch the edge of Ichigo's desk to steady himself. He'd been working on this trick for quite a while; the ability to materialize in the real world on his own, but that didn't mean that the skill wasn't taxing. It had taken nearly everything the hollow had to pull himself into physical being.

"It was worth it," he grinned, taking a deep breath and resisting the urge to gag at the smell. Inside Ichigo's mind the "air" was absolutely pure, almost sterile, but here it was as though a hundred scents assaulted the hollow all at once and he was left wondering how anyone could stand it. It was vile. And completely different than when Ichigo had pulled him from the reflection.

Shirosaki allowed himself a few more moments to acclimate to the annoying stench before finally looking at himself in the mirror, blinking in surprise. He'd never actually gotten a good look at his true appearance before, cocking his head to the side as he studied his features. He was a damn good-looking hollow if he had to say so himself. Much better than those huge ones with the gigantic teeth…or the tentacles…or the pig snouts…or the little leeches.

Okay so his competition might have been a little poor…

But that wasn't important right now, what I was /I important was following the plan that he'd so carefully mapped out inside Ichigo's mind. Shirosaki couldn't wait to see the look on the King's face when he discovered that the hollow could wander around on his own. Of course, it was kind of limited (for now) and he couldn't do it very long (again, for now) but the point was seeing Ichigo's shocked expression and making him squirm a bit.

The thought of squirming made Shirosaki grin, his mind wandering back to the previous month. Ichigo had squirmed so deliciously in his arms that Shirosaki could barely keep his thoughts away from it. It was the memory of heavy breaths and soft moans that had been the very reason that the hollow had put so much effort into learning how to become material on his own. His king had been thinking about it almost nonstop for a solid month, and for all that time Shiro had been doing the same. Something had to be done, and the paler male had the feeling that Ichigo was too shy to actually be the one to do it.

In fact,…he knew that Ichigo was too scared to take the initiative.

Of course, he couldn't very well wander around the streets in his kimono without causing a bit of a stir, so he quickly made his way over to Ichigo's closet, pulling out an outfit that wouldn't make him stand out too much. He finished it off with the large pair of blue sunglasses that the King had been looking for earlier to cover his eyes. Though Ichigo may have forgotten where he'd put the damn things, Shirosaki was inside his head (and therefore had easy access to his memories) so he found them with no problem.

The streets were bustling with people as Shirosaki made his way quietly out the door and into the heat, blinking into the sunlight that he was so unaccustomed to. The light inside Ichigo's mind, while bright, wasn't so obnoxious and produced almost no heat, causing it to always be the same temperature inside his consciousness, flat line and stable. It was bothersome to have to deal with so many outside elements, a hundred sights and sounds; so different than seeing them through Ichigo's eyes. It almost made him feel…out of sorts.

Though he'd never admit that to anyone.

Ichigo was sitting on the bank near the river, his knee drawn up to his chin, as he watched Yuzu teaching Karin how to waltz. It wasn't much of a dance though, as Yuzu had just picked up the how-to video only a week earlier and really didn't know much about it herself. Nevertheless, the two of them were spinning around in circles, the blonde giggling every now and again and Karin cracking a faint smile despite herself. It was rather picturesque. A rare moment these days.

The substitute shinigami was feeling his eyes begin to close, the warm weather making him vaguely sleepy, when something cold ran down his hand, pooling between his legs. His amber gaze shot open and he gasped, watching the cinnamon ice cream that he'd bought dripping down his skin. Ichigo had almost forgotten that he'd had it, and his tongue came out to lick at the sweet cream, not bothering to lap up the sticky substance still lingering on his hand.

Suddenly, as Karin fell over and began cussing, he began to feel something…odd. His senses began to perk up, a pressure that felt oddly familiar and yet strangely foreign creeping up on him, making the hair on the back of his neck stand at attention. It didn't feel threatening and so he didn't feel any need to worry, but he allowed himself to reach out slightly with his own power to scent it out. At his gentle exploration the presence pulled back, veiled itself behind tall walls that Ichigo wasn't able to get around. His eyes narrowed at that, but he merely shook his head and tried to ignore it.

It probably wasn't a big deal after all…right?

His tongue went back to work, licking up the ice cream in his hand before it melted completely, eyes closing halfway in contentment. He just didn't have it in him to be on edge right now, he was too calm, and he just had a feeling in his gut that everything was all right.

Which was probably why it was all the more shocking when his phone suddenly went off in his pocket, vibrating so close to his lap that he jumped with a startled yell. Ichigo was about to fish it out of his pocket when he looked down, realizing that his hands were still absolutely filthy. He couldn't ruin his pants like that! And he didn't want to damage his phone by covering it with sticky sugar. He was pretty much screwed.

Sighing annoyed, Ichigo decided to just let the phone ring and look at it later when his hands weren't dirty, fidgeting slightly when it vibrated a few more times against his thigh. Unfortunately, the more he wriggled the further the phone moved towards his crotch, making Ichigo roll his eyes at his own misfortune.

He was just beginning to calm down when his phone went off again, making his eyes go wide, looking at his hands once more. Should he lick them clean and grab for his phone? Ichigo grimaced at that thought, but the phone was becoming more insistent against his groin, making his eyebrow twitch. This was maddening! Were his teenage hormones so crazed that he could be turned on by something so simple?

Gritting his teeth, he waited for it to be over, willing his half-erection to go away.

Somewhere across the street, standing at a pay-phone, was Shirosaki, giggling like mad with each tap of his finger upon the numbered buttons. He'd had to cover up his presence pretty quickly when he'd first come upon Ichigo sitting by the water, but he had expected the king to be further away than this. It hadn't taken long for the plan to form in Shirosaki's mind, watching Ichigo's hands get so messy, having one pornographic thought after another about how to get it off him.

It was much too easy really…

He watched over his dark blue glasses as he dialed the number for a third time, letting it ring, watching as Ichigo's shoulder's tensed and he squirmed. It was hilarious…and yet very enticing. If the hollow concentrated, he could feel Ichigo's frustration, feel the heat rising up in the young man's cheeks, knew that he was getting embarrassed. Of course, this only amused Shirosaki further, dialing the number once more. Ichigo wouldn't keep this up forever; eventually he'd just reach into his pocket sticky or not…so it was now or never.

Without a word he let the phone hang loose and walked slowly across the street, masking his physical appearance to normal humans (he hadn't bothered earlier because he didn't feel like expending the energy) before stopping a few feet behind Ichigo. With that he dropped the wall he'd put up earlier to keep his king from feeling him, licking at his bottom lip in anticipation as the teen's head shot up and his entire body went rigid. Though the redhead may not have known who it was at first, he certainly knew now.

Shirosaki could have died with laughter as Ichigo slowly turned to look over his shoulder, feeling somewhat as if he should have had a machete in his hands. It was like a scene from a horror movie…where was the "Psycho" music when you needed it?

"Beautiful afternoon, hmm, your highness?" Shirosaki purred, pulling the sunglasses down further on his nose to wink a golden eye at the absolutely and utterly dumbfounded teenager.

The moment that heavy wall had fallen…Ichigo knew. He couldn't exactly describe how he knew, but the feel of the pressure, almost the way it smelled, told him exactly who it was. Of course, at first he hadn't wanted to believe it, having thought that the only way that the hollow could be independent of their joined mind was for the teenager to pull him out of the reflection…but…obviously not. And so it was with no small amount of dread that Ichigo slowly turned his head to look at what he already knew was there, eyes narrowing instantly as they landed upon the grinning albino.

Rolling until he was on his feet, he began feeling around in his mind for the hollow, trying desperately to figure out how he could have pulled this off. It didn't make sense! Shouldn't Ichigo have felt the other presence leave? In the meantime he must have looked ridiculous, staring off into space with a murderous expression on his face, all the while Shirosaki began giggling madly, putting his hands behind his back and attempting to look innocent.

That was…never going to work…

"You…," Ichigo stuttered out, pointing like a three year old.

"Me," came the amused reply. Shirosaki pretended to brush a bit of dirt off his shoulder, rubbing his knuckles against his chest and raising an eyebrow.

"You…"

"Me!"

"How?" Ichigo finally asked, hands clenching into fists at his sides as his voice began to raise, his reiatsu flickering dangerously with his growing anger. "Since when can you do this?!"

"Ichi-nii?" Yuzu came up beside him, her eyes wide and vaguely horrified at the fact that her brother had apparently lost his mind and was yelling at empty air. Her gaze flickered from place to place around the street, attempting to figure out what he was preoccupied with, only to come up empty handed. Ichigo, for his part, could already feel the blush working its way up his neck to settle in his ears and cheeks, turning away from the thoroughly amused hollow laughing hysterically behind him before he lost his temper completely.

"Sorry Yuzu," Ichigo muttered, rubbing the top of his head as he attempted to force down the heat in his face. "I don't know what got into me."

Pinning the hollow with a deadly glare over his shoulder, Ichigo put his arm around Yuzu's shoulders and turned her around, leaning down. "Look," he said, his voice as lighthearted as he could manage. "I'm going to go down the street for a second and get something to drink. Why don't you and Karin stay here and I'll be right back…okay?"

Yuzu's glance told him she didn't quite believe him, but she let it go anyway, nodding happily and going back to where Karin waited somewhat less than patiently.

He crooked his finger at Shirosaki, stalking down the street with the hollow on his heels, walking closely enough that every so often he'd step on Ichigo's ankle or brush against his back. As bothersome as that might have been, all the teenager could focus on was his confusion, his teeth grinding in his jaw as he attempted not to scream out his frustration. His pale reflection was giggling in his ear now, wrapping his arms around Ichigo's shoulders and clinging on like some kind of demented monkey, forcing the teen to practically carry him down the sidewalk.

"You're surprised I can tell," Shirosaki whispered in his ear as he pulled at the top of Ichigo's shirt to expose his collarbone a little, running a pale finger over the exposed skin with a bemused hum. "Probably wondering what the hell could possibly be going on? Sorry aibou, it's a secret…can't let you in on my technique."

"Shut…up…," Ichigo growled out, trying to shrug off the hollow but having little success. He needed to find a place where he could get his answers without having to worry about someone calling the loony bin on him or interrupting his business. So far he hadn't seen anything, until the two of them passed by a small shop that had a leasing sign on it. Eyes flicking around to make sure they weren't followed, he pushed open the (oddly unlocked) door and slammed it shut quickly, his elbow coming out without warning to slam into the gut of the creature behind him.

Shirosaki recoiled, forced a few steps away as Ichigo's elbow impacted his stomach with enough force to make him grunt in pain. That was unexpected! Without warning the cool metal of the door was pushing against his back as the teenager advanced on him, one palm splayed against the hollow's chest. In Shiro's opinion, all this aggression really wasn't necessary seeing as his intentions weren't evil or anything. It wasn't as though he was going to challenge Ichigo for the right to be king out in the middle of the street where any damn idiot could come bumbling along.

He had more style than that.

"How did you do this?!" Ichigo demanded, bringing their faces close together.

The hollow pursed his lips slightly, trying to think of a way to describe the process in a way that his king would actually understand. Though far from stupid, Ichigo still had some trouble understanding the ins and outs of spiritual energy. It always seemed to take a bit of explaining before he really got the concept. Did they even have time for that kind of thing? Did it matter? Ichigo's stern face and glitteringly angry eyes told Shirosaki that he'd be better off to make time.

"I…pulled myself…out," was the best he could come up with on a whim, shrugging lightly and watching Ichigo's face go blank in annoyance. "Well you asked! I don't know how to explain it to you! It's not like you'd need to do it!"

The teen's free hand came up to rub the bridge of his nose, his eyes closing even as his fingers dug into Shirosaki's shirt, clenching into a fist. The hollow grinned and shook his head, reveling in the young man's obvious frustration, glancing down at the fingers digging into his clothes. They were still sticky, covered with a thin layer of goo that was getting all over everything they touched. It gave Shirosaki an idea, one pale eyebrow raising as Ichigo's amber eyes settled back on him again.

"What is that shit-eating grin for?" Ichigo questioned slowly, leaning closer to the hollow's face, feeling Shiro's breath fanning his cheeks. It smelled of standing water, as though the teen had walked into a forest and waded into a pond, vaguely stale and cool. The redhead didn't know what that look was for, but his instincts were telling him that it was trouble. Maybe not the life-and-death sort of trouble, but it was trouble nonetheless.

No answer came to his question…not verbally anyway. Instead, Shirosaki's own hand came up and wrapped around the slightly tanned wrist, thumb making lazy circles around the soft skin as Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise. He made a half-hearted effort to pull his hand away, but the paler male shook his head slowly, catching the brown gaze and holding it with his own. Shirosaki pulled the suddenly trembling fingers closer to his mouth, the blue tongue coming out teasingly, his expression challenging the other male to have the nerve to pull away. Ichigo wasn't stupid, he knew what his damn alter ego was planning to do…but for the life of him, he couldn't seem to muster up enough willpower to stop it from happening.

Ichigo's cheeks were beginning to burn, a flush coming over his nose as his long fingers were drawn into the hollow's mouth, the long tongue doing absolutely wicked things between the digits. At the same time his mind was working a hundred miles a minute, trying to figure out why he wasn't doing anything about the situation and was even going so far as to allow his fingers to curl against the roughness moving around them. The hollow had a tongue not unlike a cat, though not quite, and his eyes were like gold that had been melted down and poured into silver glass…alive and flickering with unspoken promises.

A particularly hard suck on his fingers drew a breathy gasp from his throat, making his own tongue come out to wet suddenly dry lips. He hadn't realized how badly he was panting, his breaths coming more and more quickly, each slow motion of the hollow setting off a chain reaction that shot through his entire body. It was like nothing in the world existed other than the soft sound of liquid sucking and the way his chest was rising and falling.

With one long, final suck against his index finger, Shirosaki finally released the hand that he'd been so fascinated with for the past few moments. Ichigo's cheeks were like bing cherries...such a sweet blush. In the back of his mind, the hollow couldn't help but wonder what that blush tasted like. Would it be as saccharine as he imagined it to be? Without giving the idea any more contemplation, he leaned forward while pulling his king towards him by the wrist until his dark tongue met Ichigo's cheek. Gold eyes closed, a small shiver running up his spine as the teen's breath came out in a rush against his face.

Shirosaki was wrong…not like sugar at all…

"You taste like virtue Ichigo," he whispered into the redhead's ear, releasing his wrist somewhat reluctantly. The shiver that ran through his king was instantaneous, and Shirosaki allowed Ichigo to pull away so that their eyes could meet. There was something seeking in that amber gaze, something that the paler male didn't quite understand, though he knew somehow that they both shared the question. It was the joined confusion of what was happening between the two of them, the unspoken knowledge that they were slowly being drawn together like two magnets. Deliciously perverse. A bit undesirable. Perhaps a little beautiful in its simplicity. All together unavoidable.

"What the fuck?" Ichigo cursed quietly, almost under his breath.

"Your fingers were sticky," Shirosaki said, as though that explained it all. Ichigo shook his head, taking a step forward until they were pressed flush against each other, Shiro's back once more pushed firmly against the door. A line of heat began pulsing up and down where their limbs met, a trembling pressure that flickered to life in their chests and slowly pushed its way to the surface.

"No…what the fuck is this?" the teen asked again, shaking his head, eyes willing the hollow to give him some kind of answer that he would understand. The flushed forehead fell onto Shirosaki's shoulder, making molten eyes go wide in surprise. He'd expected many things after that little performace, but such strange, wordless affection was not really one of them. An almost anguished sigh escaped Ichigo's lips as he rubbed his forehead against Shirosaki's shoulder, the hollow staring straight ahead, befuddled and feeling as though his insides were being wound tight. His arms hung uselessly at his sides, his fingertips tingling as he tried to identify the strange sensation that was burning through his veins. What the fuck indeed…

Ichigo could feel mind racing, every thought in his head pushing and bouncing against each other, unable to make contact long enough for him to calm down and be reasonable. Shirosaki's actions had been enough to throw him completely off-balance, that one small, seductive deed enough to shake him to the core. If that's all it took to get him to break down, he was glad that the hollow had never thought to use it before. Surely Ichigo would have been enslaved by now…surely he would have given up his crown.

But this didn't feel like fighting…not in the normal sense. This felt like tug-of-war with no clearly defined winner.

"Why are you doing this?" Ichigo whispered, turning his head so that his cheek rested on the hollow's shoulder, his arms wrapping around the trim white waist without realizing it. He gazed up painfully at his mirror image, blinking slowly as the golden eyes turned to focus on him with a similarly strange expression. It was only then that Ichigo realized that he wasn't the only one who didn't know what was going on. There was bewilderment in Shirosaki's face that spoke volumes where mere words could not. They were both stumped…

How comforting.

"I'll have you know," the paler male grinned, showing perfect white teeth. "That this," he gestured around at the two of them "whatever the hell this is…was not my intention. I was just showing you my hollowrific skills. I'll admit that sucking your fingers may have been overkill but…you love that sort of spur of the moment shit. "

Ichigo smiled softly despite himself, shaking his head in amusement. Without a word he tugged at the hollow's waist, pulling them both to the floor in a graceless heap, his cheek still resting on the broad shoulder. There was a comfort here that he hadn't felt in a long time, like curling up with your softest blanket and eating your favorite comfort food. As wrong as it may have been (and it was very wrong) Ichigo couldn't help the desire to curl in and relax. Shiro was the other half of himself…was it so very odd that the teenager would have the irresistible desire to be close to him?

"I don't know how much longer I'll be able to hold this form," Shirosaki whispered into the vibrant hair, voice breathy at having been taken off guard when Ichigo pulled him to the ground. He sat almost completely still, not quite sure what to do without putting Ichigo on the defensive again. There was something almost endearing about the way the teenager's arms were snuggly fit around his waist, the long fingers digging into his shirt in an almost possessive way. It would have been cute if not for the fact that it made Shirosaki feel like some kind of pet hollow.

"Hey…your highness…did you hear me?" he repeated, pulling at the fabric of Ichigo's pant leg and cocking his head to the side. "I said I won't be able to stay here much longer. So if you have any more ranting and raving to do, you'd better get it out now."

Ichigo's tawny eyes moved up to him, an almost sleepy expression on his face. "What was I so pissed off about again?" he said randomly, blinking a few times as if to try to get rid of some kind of grogginess. Shirosaki shrugged lightly, not sure how to answer that question considering that he hadn't been really clear on it himself. Ichigo was just high-strung…that was the way the hollow saw it. He got worked up over things that he probably shouldn't worry about.

He was a teenager afterall…

"I dunno king," Shirosaki said, eyes narrowing as he felt the first shreds of his control being to slip. "I sort of figured it had something to do with me being…out here and all…"

"I guess," Ichigo said softly. He seemed to think through it for another brief moment and then shrugged lightly. "It doesn't matter."

Ichigo was about to close his eyes when he saw a vein on the hollow's neck twitch subtlety, the redhead raising an eyebrow in confusion. That had looked almost painful. He released the death hold on Shiro's shirt (he'd raided Ichigo's closet…how annoying), and moved his fingertips up to brush against the vessel, his face painted with worry. Was something wrong? Then again, the hollow had said that he wouldn't be able to hold this form forever, but still, it looked uncomfortable at the very least.

"You look concerned…I'm f-flattered," Shirosaki squeezed out, eyes now shut in concentration. Nearly every thought was focused on keeping a physical body for as long as he could, desperately not wanting to go back to the lonely world inside Ichigo's mind. There was heat and movement out here, even if it did reek of humans…inside there was only the sanitary, unmoving buildings and sky. If Shirosaki hadn't known better, he almost would have thought that he was afraid. But that was ridiculous of course. "I didn't know you cared."

"Why don't you just go back in," Ichigo asked, pointing at his own temple. "You're obviously in pain. Just go back and rest."

"I guess I've done enough damage for one day," Shirosaki said, resigned to his fate, his voice low and quivering. Letting out a long breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, the paler male began to feel himself fade, turning to Ichigo and reaching out his hands to grasp the redhead's sleeve. "Hey…why aren't you mad anymore anyway?"

Ichigo cocked his head to the side, glancing down at the diminishing form on his arm. He could almost see through the skin now, and without a word he rested his own hand upon Shirosaki's fingers, biting at his bottom lip before looking up at seeking gold eyes. Why? What was the point really? There was no stopping the strange quasi-relationship they seemed to be developing, and honestly, Ichigo was sort of getting tired of trying. The last month, since that time in the greenhouse, had found him almost constantly thinking about it. Wondering what to do about it. Playing out the scenarios in his mind. Not that he was going to be giving in any time soon but still…

"I don't know…I'm just not. Why are you worried about it? You don't give a shit about my opinion anyway."

Shirosaki grinned at that, nodding happily. "That's true. Your angsty, emo kid stuff is usually the reason we wind up getting our asses kicked most of the time."

"Shut the hell up," Ichigo growled without any real heat, and leaned forward with a soft smirk. He had wanted to brush his lips across Shirosaki's, but found that his alter ego had faded enough that he could no longer be touched. The kiss, though sweet, found no purchase, both staring at each other for a long moment before the hollow spoke again.

"Your timing sucks my liege," he snickered, shaking his head. "But I guess it's the thought that counts…see you around…"

With that, Ichigo was left alone…at least physically. He could feel the hollow rummaging around in his head, settling back in and making himself as comfortable as he could mangage. The young man sighed softly, closing his eyes and leaning against the metal door, turning so that his burning cheek pushed against the coolness. Though their lips hadn't really touched, he still felt a faint tingling rush up into his mouth, leaving him with the impression of having done more. His fingertips moved up to brush against his bottom lip, pulling it down somewhat…

"Sorry, I'll try to work on my technique."

"What technique?" the distorted voice came in his head, obviously amused. "Last I checked, you were a virgin".

"God, shut up," Ichigo squeezed out, standing up and brushing off his pants. As his hand moved over his phone however, he realized that he was finally able to reach into his pocket and pull it out. Upon doing so, he flipped it open, orange eyebrow rising in confusion as he flipped through the repeating number. "This is a pay phone number…"

Eyes narrowing suddenly, he shot the wall (since the source of his annoyance wasn't around) a very dirty glare.

"Hollow…," he snarled out, snapping it shut with an angry click.

The only answer was a twisted peal of laughter that rang through his mind and faded into nothingness, leaving Ichigo with the distinct desire to throw the cell phone into the wall.

Why couldn't he have a normal alter ego…like Batman…or Superman…