Author's Note: Here it is, the long-anticipate sequel to Fishing! Well, actually, it wasn't really that long. More of an hour of waiting. Ha. Well, for convenience's sake, I'm going to try as hard as possible to make this fic so that you wouldn't have to read the whole Fishing beforehand to know what's going on, though I may occasionally refer back to it.

Enjoy and keep the reviews coming. So, without further ado, I present to you: The Pursuit of Happiness

It really wasn't that long ago since Kurosaki Ichigo had first successfully asked Hitsugaya Toshiro out on a date.

This first date had been a shambles, but they had managed to get right back on their feet and establish a good, solid relationship with each other, based on a mixture of respect, trust, and though Hitsugaya would viciously deny it at times, love.

It really hadn't been that long ago since Hitsugaya and company had been called back to Soul Society, either. Really, only three months had passed.

But for Ichigo, those three months were long and torturous.

He was fairly obsessive about the thought that he would just have to see his ice prince again, and soon. Long-distance relationships are tricky to pull off, especially if you're dimensions apart, but Ichigo was convinced that they would be able to manage fairly well.

Hitsugaya had left him with three very important rules.

Number one. No drugs.

Number two. No alchohol.

And number three. No sex, you perverted beast.

Ichigo had adhered to all three of these rules very obediently, because it wasn't really like he did any of that to start with anyways. He was a good boy. A good boy, who got fairly good grades, who was good with his family, and of course, had a very good love life.

But it would be better when Hitsugaya would come back to the real world.

So one can only imagine the strawberry's manic delight when he received notice that Hitsugaya, along with several other members of a hand-picked unit, would come back to the real world to keep Karakura town safe.

As soon as school let out that day, Ichigo was the first one out the door, without even bothering to say good-bye to any of his peers. Bah, who needs them when the very advent of your lover beckons to you from near and far? In this case, from Urahara's shop. He had been thinking about it the whole day, and it had even led to confusion when Orihime had caught sight of him scrawling what seemed to be a lopsided, demented fairy on the cover of his notebook with a permanent marker. (He later confessed it was actually meant to be a doodle of Hitsugaya in bankai form, but who can deny that those wings made him look like a little angel?)

So, here he was, walking in the direction of Urahara's shop, feeling it high spirits.

It didn't take him that long to reach the area, and he knew his way there well, since he had made multiple trips there on various occasions. Jinta seemed to be asleep on the floor at the shop's door, slacking off, as usual, and Ururu seemed to be doing his share of the sweeping while he napped.

Ignoring the two younger (and not to mention much more...midget-y...) children, the strawberry ducked through the doorframe and entered the shop. The first thing he saw, was not a blur of green-striped hat, as usual, but instead, a tuft of white hair.

"TOSHIRO!"

Ichigo launched himself forward, grabbing the white-haired recipient with much conviction that was only a step below strangulation.

"Toshiro! I've missed you!"

"I'm over here, idiot."

"Huh?"

Ichigo froze. Now that you mention it, the object of his uncalled for glomping was awfully tall. And it was impossible for anyone to grow that much in just a span of three months, provided there was no use of steroids involved in the process. Furthermore, this white hair was strangely long...and it so did not smell like Hitsugaya.

He looked up to meet this person's eyes.

What the hell? They weren't even remotely green.

That was when the thought hit him. Oh, damn.

"U-Ukitake!?" He quickly withdrew his grasp in horror, feeling shudders climb up and down his spine. Oh, hell no. He had not just glomped Ukitake and call him 'Toshiro', before screaming about how much he had missed him during the long, three month absence.

The taichou of the thirteenth division, however, didn't seem to mind too much, reacting with nothing worse than an avuncular chuckle of amusement. "I believe you're looking for Hitsugaya-kun? He's behind me. I only accompanied the group to see them off."

"R...Right..."

He peered around Ukitake to see his favorite little shinigami in all his black-and-white-robed glory. It couldn't be anyone else. Everything about him was just plain unmistakenable, from the tufty white hair, to the pouting lips (which were just begging to be kissed), to the delicate arms, which were crossed over his adorable little chest, to the aquamarine eyes, and all the way down to the way that his white tenth-division haori complimented his slender figure in just the right places.

And good thing he was thin, too, Ichigo thought, because he was, no offense, rather short, and a short and fat taichou wouldn't be very attractive to him in the least bit at all.

Ichigo didn't hesitate to jump right over there and give Hitsugaya a good, solid hug.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you, Toshiro. Honestly, if I'd have to go one more day without seeing you, I'd go insane and I'd probably break the 'no drugs' rule and mysteriously die of an overdose."

"If you broke one of my rules, I'd spit on your dead body."

"You're mean, Toshiro!" Ichigo pouted. "You've hurt my feelings," he whined in a high-pitched voice. "But I'll forgive you if you give me a kiss," he added hopefully.

"No kisses."

"Why not?"

"You...nearly suffocated Ukitake."

"Oh, come on! Just one kiss! Please? I've been deprived of love and Toshiro-ness for months! Don't tell me I can't have just one teensy little kiss! Puh-lease, Toshiro? Be a good boy!"

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes heavenward, but finally surrendered to Ichigo's obnoxious begging.

"Fine. Just one. No more than that." And with that said and out of the way, he placed a brief kiss on the strawberry's cheek before withdrawing.

"I have to leave now," the young captain muttered. "I'm scheduled to patrol north Karakura five minutes from now. I'll see you later, Ichigo."

"You have to leave already? But you just got here!" Ichigo protested.

"I'm sorry. Sotaichou's orders."

And with that, he was gone, leaving a very disappointed Ichigo behind.

A few moments after Hitsugaya had disappeared, Ichigo felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He turned to see Ukitake, who had a rather grave expression on his face. Oh, damn. He couldn't really have good news.

"Before I leave, as well, Ichigo-kun, I just want to ask you to take good care of Hitsugaya-kun."

Ichigo gave the man a confused expression. "Huh?"

"We believe he is being targeted by an unknown person, or persons," he explained. "We have not verified this, however, so we are not positive on the details, and as a consequence, Hitsugaya-kun has no knowledge of this yet. Keep a sharp eye out, and don't let anything happen to him. I know he trusts you, so we're all counting on you to keep him safe, and to report back if anything is to occur."

"Y-Yeah. I will," Ichigo responded quickly, still confused, and to be frank, shocked. Someone was targeting his precious Toshiro? He didn't know what this person wanted, or why they were choosing to do so, but he did know that whoever this was was looking to get their ass kicked, and kicked hard.

Author's Note: Well, there you have it. The first chapter to the sequel. Tell me what you think? Yay, or nay?

We'll see how it goes.