This story is a request from SinfulSerenity hope you like it ^.^

Ichigo sat in his room on his bed lost deeply in thought . He hasn't had contact what his hollow for three weeks now and he misses him terribly. You see shiro was a great friend when he wasn't trying to take over ichigo's body. He hasn't even tried to in over a year. Ichigo could talk to shiro about things he couldn't even tell his best friends. He would sometimes nag about how the hollow activity got in the way of his social life ,school work or how he never got enough sleep and shiro would just listen to him. It felt good to get all that stuff out to somebody who actually cared. He would say things about how he wondered how falling in love would be and shiro wouldn't make fun of him. He even asked the demon had he ever fallen in love before.

"shiro have you ever fallen In love.?" ichigo asked as he just sat up on his bed to look up at the albino sitting on the floor leaning against his closet.

"yeah but its unrequited." he said in a mono toned voice.

"what dose it feel like?"he asked sadly. Shiro thought for a moment.

"it like being able to close your eyes to the things you don't want to see but not being able to close your heart to the things you don't want to feel."he stared whit a thoughtful expression.

"when did you know you were in love?"ichigo asked smiling

"well I would listen to his every word and-"

"his?" ichigo questioned whit a confused expression.

"yeah you got a problem whit it?"he asked

"not at all I just thought you were straight that's all. Uh-mm you were saying?"

"well when I thought about him my heart hurt because I missed him so much and I think about him all the time. We would fight a lot because I would always try to control him aha he would make the cutest faces when we fought to."ichigo thought shiro was happy when he talked about the person he love. He felt horrible that the person didn't love him back. It must feel awful to love someone that doesn't love you back. He missed shiro a lot as he layed on his bed and thought about the past. He often had thoughts about kissing and touching his hollow but always held back because he knew he loved someone else. Ichigo wished he could touch his pure white hair. He wanted to run his fingers threw it. But he couldn't because he wasn't there. . . before shiro left he tooled ichigo.

"look ima be gone for about a mouth I wont be able to contact you so don't be alarmed ok. And don't come looking for me ill come back to you I promise."he stated as he kissed ichigos forehead.

"why are you going?"ichigo questioned sadly.

"because I have to protect you."shiro said vanishing be for ichigo could further protest. It had only been three weeks but ichigo could feel his heart thump in pain. Ichigo remembered when he had a nightmare about his mother dying. Ichigo was there bye the river he was his older self just sitting on the grass when he say his mother waving at him 'mom' he said breathlessly. He ran towards her as fast as he could . But not getting anywhere near her. she was just standing there smiling and waving at him. A hollow appeared behind her.'mom! Watch out!'. He yelled out. She turned around. The hollow crushed he like an insect. He woke up in a cold sweat he was crying while rocking on his bed in the corrner whit his knees curled up to his chest. Shiro materialized before him once more but this time he walked over to the orange haired boy who had his face tucked in his knees. He sat down beside him. He looked up from his knees he was surprised to see a concerned looking albino. He wiped his tears away and tried to smile.

"oh h-hi shiro" he said while trying to wipe away the newly forming tears.

"i-i just had a bad dream that's all" he said whit a sniff. still trying in vain to wipe the away. But his eyes would just form more in mere seconds. shiro looked hurt. he pulled ichigo into his chest

"don't give me that bullshit ichigo you don't have to put up fake smiles for me I can see that your hurt,you don't have to pretend everything's alright ill always be by your side no matter what I promise. so just let it all out." he said holing him tighter. ichigos body began to shudder whit sobs in the demons arms. shiro just held on and rubbed his back. Ichigo fell asleep just like that in his arms. Shiro layed them down along the bed. When ichigo woke up shiro was breathing peacefully. He stayed in his arms watching him until shiro woke up. He was holding ichigo close to his chest.

"no more bad dreams?" he asked ichigo.

"nope" ichigo replied smiling

"see I like that smile a whole lot better"ichigo blushed. shiro kissed the top of his forehead. Of course ichigo only took it a friendly gesture like the first time.

"i got to get back to zangetsu ill be back later." he said as he got up. one moment he was there the next he wasn't. after that they started getting a lot closer. Ichigo sat up on his bed. He wanted to see him he couldn't possibly think of how his hollow could hurt him besides leaving him like this. That was it ichigo made up his mind. He was going to go inside his mind and find his hollow. He stood up and took a deep breath and went inside his own head. He looked around he wasn't in the usual blue sky's whit clouds place. He was in a forest it had so many trees. He glanced up the tress seemed to go on for ever. They were thick and had soft fluff like bark on them. He sensed his hollow. he was picking up sings he was near bye. he walked until he came to a cave. he looked around. It was spacious. He walked in.

"shiro" he called out something moved inside the far conned of the cave. there was like a bedding sort of material. shiro was under it. Ichigo step closer.

"shiro" he said louder.

"i-ichigo? Stay back ichigo"the voice commanded. ichigo stopped moving.

"but shiro I finally get to see you; I-i missed you so much" he said the second part lowly but the demon still caught it. ichigo felt his heart tighten in his chest.

"why shiro? Why did you leave me like that?"he said he felt tears stinging in his eyes shiro stood up he was now taller than ichigo and more muscular too. His hair grew out also now he had to toss his hair out of his face every now and then. He had on the usual robs they were torn and worn out a bit tho.

" I told you I left to protect you" he said looking away from ichigo. ichigo steps closer to shiro.

" how is this protecting me!"he shouted he felt the hot tears run down his checks.

"you-you said you would always be by my side" he said he was covering his face whit his hands.

"ichigo I-i"shiro step closer. ichigo looked up at shiro whit tear filled eyes. The sight broke shiros hear he step closer and took ichigo in to his arms.

" I missed you to"he breath in his sent deeply. ichigo began cry in to his chest.

"don't leave me again ever!" he sobbed out.

" I swear I wont ever leave your side again".he said "i promise" he kissed ichigos forehead. Looked up from shiros chest.

"why did you leave in the first palce?"he questioned. Shiro suddenly stiffened. He step away from ichigo.

THE END :D . .. . . . JK LOL the next chapter will be up soon soo tell me if you liked it so far and if you have some ideas for this story id love to hear it ^.^ ps I take request for characters if I no the anime only one rule ahah I don't do yuri will do yaoi and hentai tho ^. bye bye 3