I have finally suscumbed to the temptation of creating a HichiHime drabble collection. Much love to the fantastically awesomesausce group on FLOL who take part in the HichiHime FLOL thread who inspired me to do drabbles in the first place. Love you guys (even the ones i'm not e-married to). So as if that wasn't any indication, this collection will consist entirely of HichHime. There will likely also be some BullIchiHime and slight IchiHime every now then. It may be anything from fluff, to angst, to horror, or to complete crack. Unfortunately though, unlike with the other members, I am not exactly at the age to right anything smutty and even if I was, I probably wouldn't know how to do it anyway so the rating will probably stay at 'T'. Another thing that will effect the type of drabble it is; I write Shirosaki a little differently in each drabble. I try to stay in character but since we don't know everything about our dearest hollow the levels of his insanity, sinsterness, agressiveness, and etcetera may vary (I like redeemable Shiro but I often write him dark a lot in my drabbles). And, erm...I think that's it. Oh yes, and I, of course, do not own Bleach. If I did, Shirosaki would be a main character and Ichigo, him, and Orihime would all be happily married to each other (Yes, that's right HichiIchiHime, FTW. [the order matters]).

She was the last person in the world he thought he could be compared to.

He wanted her voice, her words to strike through him.

He could see her through his eyes, he heard every thought that ran through his head, could sense his movement. He could see her, but as usual the King was too stupid to realise was right before him.

He wanted the way she moved.

She made him sick. He didn't notice why at first but after they went to find her when she left, it slowly began to sink in.

He was similar to the King, as much as he hated to admit, hated the King, it couldn't be helped. He'd been Ichigo once. It drove him insane knowing that. He'd been Ichigo once. She reminded him over and over. God, he hated it.

He wanted her soul. He wanted to devour her.

She was like the King too; Careless, fragile, weak. They lunged head-first into things they weren't ready for. They tore themselves apart without considering the consequences or even thinking about who they were dragging down with them. They never showed their true faces, only their masks. Why was it that both the King and the Queen were so pathetic?

He could practically taste her. Sweet, yet strangely bitter. A bit salty, a little too much like something from a nearly forgotten memory that no longer belonged to him-a little too much like rain.

But, it was that he was like her, that he hated most.

"She's calling me"

He had to laugh at the irony upon seeing her in that white arrancar uniform. It only further punctuated what he knew. It figured.

"She's calling me, I can hear her."

They told him.

'...Take care not to die before I show up again!'

They both told him.

'Don't die, Kurosaki-kun!'

And he still failed to listen.

But he'd heard her. She knew he was here, he could feel it. Somehow she knew.

"Stand up."

She reminded him of everything.

He wanted to take everything that belonged to him, everything that used to be his. His life, his freedom, maybe even his name...he couldn't have his heart back though. If he did then he'd just be Ichigo again. He'd cease to exist.

'If I could have five lifetimes...'

She'd left. She dangled her heart from a string before their blind eyes and left.

He wanted her heart.

The last thing he wanted to do was to be like Ichigo. The thing he hated most was to be like her. They made him so sick, he thought with a deranged laugh. It was always one or the other.

"Stand up."

But it was the only way, no other path to take but every direction to look. They made excuses for each direction they sought after.

"I..."

'I'll get stronger and...next time...I'll definitely protect you.'

'I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, Kurosaki-kun...

With an exasperated sigh he stood and grinned up at the darkened, cracking sky. He couldn't stand either of them. It was no wonder hollows ate the souls of those who were closest to them in life. Who would want to be reminded of their past lives on a daily basis like this?

They were changing into each other. Slowly, in imperceptible slips and sudden lurches...

So pathetic...

Looking outside through King's dead eyes, he knew if he didn't do something he'd lose his chance. He'd lost his heart a long time ago, and the King had just lost his. He'd be damned if they lost hers as well. Then they'd all be hollow.

He closed his eyes on focused. There was only one path. And since they were becoming each other anyway there really wasn't anything he could do.

He wanted that heart. It was the only one that would work for him. Because they were the same, he could take that heart without being torn to pieces. He'd devour it one day...

"I..."

"I will protect her."