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SPOILERS FOR UP TO LATEST CHAPTER (441)!

You're The King, My King

Shirosaki was sitting on the edge—or roof—of one of the many buildings in Ichigo's mind, one arm up on his knee, his chin resting in his palm.

He sighed, one eye closed as the other squinted darkly up at the light glinting through the water's surface.

Sun.

Huh. No kidding, he's actually in a good mood today? First time in almost two months. Fucker should be happier now that Aizen's gone, and not just once every two months.

…Whatever, that's not my problem.

Shiro smirked, his free hand clenching into a fist as he sat, itching to run along his white Zangetsu's blade. When the king was in a good mood, Shiro was almost guaranteed a fight, and a damn good one too.

Ever since the king's Shinigami powers had been brought back by those useless Bull Bringers or whatever the fuck they were called—he was pretty sure it was 'Full', but Bull just fit their usefulness so much better—Ichigo had been spending every free goddamn minute in his inner world. Not that Shiro minded.

It's like the king actually missed us. He snorted at that thought, surprised that he was actually considering it. Well, at least now that Aizen wasn't a threat Ichigo's inner world had turned back from that useless town. Both Shiro and Tensa Zangetsu hated that fucking place.

What's the fucking point in protecting something so unnecessary anyways? …Whatever. As long as this place is back to what it's supposed to be.

Ichigo trained in here, he practiced in here when no one else was around, he did laps over the buildings when a few hundred laps around town were sure to turn a few odd glances, he even dreamed in here. It was like the kid's secret hideout or something, and only them three had memberships.

And he talked in here. More specifically, with Shiro. He'd even started calling the hollow Shirosaki. Shiro for the white. Saki for god knows what. It better have been the idiot kid's last name, because Shiro would go ape shit on him if the fucker named him after a girl's pussy-flower name.

Shiro for white. How original. The king's a real fucking Einstein. Shiro rolled his eyes, pulling his legs into a loose crisscross and turning to look out over a different direction of sideways buildings. Fucking king. Assuming everything, taking everything for granted.

He didn't have a name.

And yet, he found both Zangetsu and himself referring to him as Shiro now. Useless king.

Shiro looked up in a disinterested fashion at the sky through the water, determining it to be about three in the afternoon in Ichigo's world. The sun didn't move in this world, Shiro could just feel that it was about three through the king. He must have looked at a clock recently.

"What's our wonderful, peachy king doing now?" he called over his shoulder, not particularly looking at the teenage figure perched on the dark pole above the buildings.

Tensa Zangetsu—sociable bastard that he was—took his time surveying the buildings and looking right through Shiro for a few moments before he finally said, "He's finishing some of his homework. His friends are over."

Shiro groaned, dropping his chin back into his palm. That meant that they wouldn't be able to fight until later. Bullshit. The king was his. All of his power, his body—hell, even his inner world belonged to Shiro in some way. It pissed him off that the king was choosing them over him, but he guessed that was because he was always here. Available. He snorted again, folding his hands behind his head as he laid back. Well, he had time.

He opened his eyes, staring up at the blue sky and the clouds.

…Maybe he should see how many buildings he could take down, just to pass the goddamn time if nothing else. Maybe he should see if he could demolish one block of this world with only one swing.

He paused, thinking, before a feral smirk spread across his face and he yanked Zangetsu from his back.

Oh yeah, he could definitely enjoy passing the time like that.

XXX

"Renji, we have to stop. Shiro's running rampant again."

Renji paused, looking nervously at Ichigo, Zabimaru still clutched in his hands. "…He's not trying to—"

"No, he's not trying to get out," Ichigo shook his head, a hand over one eye like he had a headache. "He's bored so he's swinging some attacks around, it's just giving me a huge migraine."

Renji's eyes closed in relief, and he did transform Hihio Zabimaru back into its sealed form though he wasn't too happy about having to cut the spar short, sliding it back into the sheath as Ichigo continued to clutch at his forehead.

"…Renji," Ichigo asked suddenly and Renji raised his head in question. "Is it weird that… I don't really mind my hollow?"

"…Huh?"

"Well… with both him and Zangetsu gone for so long… I don't know. Never mind."

Renji just stood there for a moment before finding a seat on one of the boulders in Urahara's basement that hadn't been destroyed in their last battle, staring at Ichigo out of the corner of his eye as the tangerine-haired boy shook his head vigorously, as if trying to dislodge some annoying leach from his forehead.

…He could understand, kind of. Ever since Ichigo had been using the Hollow's power in his battles—almost every single battle with the Arrancar and Aizen—he'd seemed much more at ease to the idea of that thing roaming around in his head. Ichigo had once tried to explain that the Hollow was part of Zangetsu, though Renji would never understand for the life of him, but maybe just like Zabimaru was an inseparable part of him…

Was it possible for a Hollow to… care? If Zangetsu was part of it and vice versa then maybe it really did care about Ichigo, even if that was the only thing it cared about. Renji had heard stories about the true Hollow side of Ichigo, and not just how Ichigo used its powers in battle, and he did not want to meet said Hollow to ask it.

Ichigo sat down heavily next to Renji, his head buried in his hands, just breathing deeply. Like he was sighing.

"Did it stop?" Renji asked casually.

Ichigo nodded after a second. "I told him I'd fight him later if he stopped. He must have felt us fighting and got bored."

Renji nodded, still not entirely sure of the significance of Ichigo's Hollow being bored. Wasn't his Hollow just like… a Hollow? A monster with no feeling or cares in the world? And yet Ichigo could bargain with it, and the Hollow gave enough of a shit to stop.

He grinned suddenly, punching Ichigo on the shoulder and leaping back the second the redhead let out a yelp and turned to glare at him.

"Want to go again?" he asked eagerly, his hand on Zabimaru's hilt.

Ichigo let his head drop again, groaning before he stood up and slouched over to Renji, laying his head against Renji's shoulder.

"Maybe later, I told him I'd fight him next."

Renji sighed, straightening and putting his hands lightly on Ichigo's back. He leaned his nose into the blood in Ichigo's hair, breathing in the sweaty smell and unable to find any reason to be repelled by it.

"…Is it…he really that important to you?" strange, he'd never once thought he'd have to call a Hollow he.

Ichigo didn't even move. He gave no indication that he'd heard, or that he wanted to answer if he did, so Renji closed his mouth and squeezed his arms around Ichigo just a little tighter.

Ichigo shifted suddenly, mumbling into Renji's shoulder so he had to strain to hear it, "I didn't think I would miss him. I really didn't. But he's saved my ass so many times… he's the reason I was able to gain enough power to save everyone in the Winter War. He got my Shinigami powers back the first time I lost them and Urahara was helping me get them back, he saved my ass so many times during the soul society too, even once against Byakuya."

That one caught Renji off guard. He knew captain Kuchiki had gotten his ass kicked pretty good, but to hear that Ichigo didn't do it entirely by himself…

It didn't matter, if the Hollow was the reason Ichigo won, then it was also the reason Rukia was alive now. He owed it that much at least.

"And then both him and Zangetsu were gone," Ichigo turned his head more into Renji's neck. "Made me think of my mom. Just… gone. I knew what was coming because of what Tensa Zangetsu had told me, that they would be gone, but I didn't realize how empty I would feel. And that was right after I'd used Mugetsu on Aizen, right after I'd… become him and Zangetsu. It was like… I'd lost part of me. Like I was alone, and helpless. I hate feeling useless, because if I can't help, then I'm just a burden."

Renji stiffened, immediately pulling Ichigo back to plant a kiss firmly on his lips. Stupid strawberry.

He put his hands on Ichigo's shoulders, forcing Ichigo to look up at him."I want you to rely on me. I know I'm not as strong as you, but you don't always have to turn to… him. I don't want you to think that I can't handle the both of us. And you aren't a burden, and I'm not just telling you that because I'm fucking you."

Ichigo smirked at that and suddenly Renji liked his chances of getting through Ichigo's thick skull that much more.

"I didn't think Rukia was a burden when she didn't have her powers either," Renji added quietly.

Ichigo stayed quiet, but nodded finally and leaned up to kiss Renji again.

"Ichigo…" Renji began, pulling Ichigo back into a loose hug that the redhead returned this time. "Will it go insane if you let it out? Because… if it's that important to you… I want to know all of you. And if you feel that this thing is part of you, I want to know it too. I've met Zangetsu once while I was training for my Bankai, but I've never met this thing."

Ichigo, who had looked panicked and like Renji was an idiot when he first started now looked relaxed. He was considering it. That was something at least.

"I guess I'd still be in control," he shrugged, scratching the back of his head. "And I could come back out if it got out of hand…"

"I won't let it get out of hand," Renji said firmly, his arms securely on Ichigo's shoulders. He felt Ichigo breathe in deeply once before nodding, looking up into his eyes.

"…I don't think he'll attack you, but just watch out incase, all right?" Ichigo didn't look so sure about this.

Renji leaned forward and pressed his lips to Ichigo's forehead. "Promise."

XXX

"Ichigo wants you to go out."

It took Shiro a second to actually realize that Tensa Zangetsu had said anything, seeing as how the spirit rarely said anything at all.

"Huh?" he looked over his shoulder up to the top of the pole from where he was laying on his side, just staring blankly out over the sideways buildings. "What are you muttering about?"

"Ichigo wants you to meet his boyfriend. I don't know why, but he'll be in here in a second."

Shiro flopped over onto his back, threading his hands behind his head. "Trying to impress the family, huh? Poor bastard doesn't know what he's in for. Ichigo's family is fucked up, but we're that other side of the family," he said almost proudly.

"That other side?" Tensa Zangetsu repeated curiously after a moment.

"The psycho ones everyone pretends they forgot to invite to the family gatherings."

"Ah."

Shiro cracked one eye as he felt the spiritual pressure in the air around him spike, and he sighed heavily. Seems the king's still a fuck up when it comes to controlling his spiritual pressure. Hopeless runt.

He closed his eyes again, waiting until Ichigo's footsteps grew close enough that he could count them by the vibrations in the building, and not just by hearing them. Ichigo sat down next to him, as relaxed as he ever was nowadays, and laid back next to the Hollow after a second.

"…Shiro—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Shiro groaned, pushing himself up off the ground and stretching hugely. Ichigo watched as he cracked his back and shoulders before walking off.

"Zangetsu told you?"

"Didn't have to. Your spiritual pressure is still so visible I can feel you getting excited just from the thought of me accepting that pineapple. Accepting," he scoffed. "Pathetic. I'm not a fucking human little girl."

Ichigo looked away, his spiritual pressure now agitated because he was embarrassed. Shiro smirked, but didn't comment on it. It was too easy.

"Shirosaki," Zangetsu said quietly as the Hollow passed. "Don't do anything rash."

"Shut up, little brat."

XXX

Renji sat staring at Ichigo from his boulder, waiting nervously for Ichigo to move.

Or do anything for that matter!

He must have only been in there for five minutes, but it felt like an hour. He'd been sitting in that damn position with Zangetsu across his lap like a sculpture. Wasn't his Hollow supposed to be… loud or something?

Renji reached up to scratch the back of his head, waiting for anything to happen as he looked around the landscape to make sure neither Jinta nor Ururu was here. Urahara would be fine, but he didn't think the kids would stand a chance if anything got out of hand.

…What had he gotten himself into?

Renji's eyes snapped back to Ichigo as the spiritual pressure suddenly spiked around him, his eyes popping as the pressure went through the roof, nearly crushing his shoulders in the process, before it suddenly vanished back into Ichigo's body. And then nothing moved again, until a white, dust-like substance started to collect around Ichigo's face, sticking around his left eye.

"…Ichigo?" he asked carefully, standing and laying three fingers on Zabimaru's hilt.

Ichigo snorted suddenly, his voice higher and warped, like the spiritual pressure around him was so strong that it was twisting the sound of his words.

"Did you call me out here just to ask me my fucking name?"

Renji gasped, stumbling back a few steps as Ichigo rose from the ground, his head snapping up to meet Renji's eyes. Renji gripped Zabimaru tighter, unable to take his hand off his Zanpakuto despite what Ichigo had said and that the Hollow could possibly take it as a means to fight. It was those eyes. Yellow and flowing, swirling in a hypnotizing, manipulating way. And this spiritual pressure, was so dark.

"I'm here," Shiro said, glaring at Renji, "what the fuck did you want to tell me? This had better be fucking worth it."

Renji swallowed, trying to get his mouth to work. "…You're i-important to Ichigo… I wanted to meet the other side of him."

Shiro blinked, and then a feral smirk spread across his face, making Renji take another step back. It was Ichigo—he knew that!—but the instinct to attack the thing in front of him was overwhelming he wasn't sure he wouldn't if he was too close.

"Another sentimental pussy, huh? Well, living with Ichigo is bearable. I guess two idiots won't be so bad."

Renji nodded slowly, a little confused at what the Hollow was saying.

"Anything else or are you finished gawking at me?"

Renji snapped his mouth shut, not having realized that it was still open, and looked away awkwardly.

"I'm going back," Shiro rolled his eyes, unable to take the stupidity of the Shinigami before him. No wonder the king liked him; they were enough of idiots together that they could be soul mates.

"I don't want you to protect him!"

Shiro paused, looking back up slowly at Renji, making the redhead twitch, but Shiro gave him credit for not backing away again.

"What?"

Renji steeled himself, and Shiro had to fight not to laugh when the Shinigami actually rolled his shoulders to relax. Pathetic.

"I'm going to protect him from now on. You don't have to anymore."

Shiro snorted after a moment, making Renji's brow furrow in confusion.

"So you're as hardheaded as the king too, huh? I doubt it, Shinigami, the king's too much of a danger magnet for just one person."

Renji clenched his fists, about to blurt out something he wasn't sure wouldn't start a fight when Shiro cut him off again.

"But, I guess I have no reason to stop you if you want to try, he trusts you, so I guess he'll let you in the least. Learn the hard way, right?" he smirked again. "Don't worry, I'll still save the king's ass if you can't handle it, Shinigami."

And then the swirling golden eyes drifted back to brown, and Ichigo's knees buckled. Renji's reflexes were there before his mind caught up, and Ichigo was in his arms, his eyes closed calmly, like nothing had ever happened.

Renji looked up to find Zangetsu still as calm as when they had started, and then back down to Ichigo, unable to fathom how both Ichigo and Zangetsu could take comfort in something like that.

…But if it was important to Ichigo, that was all that mattered.

Renji found his seat on the boulder again, holding Ichigo gently and making sure he didn't touch the ground until he was awake again. He blinked, what Shiro said last still running through his head.

"So… that was good, right? He didn't try to kill me, that's good, right?"

XXX

Shiro let out a deep breath, looking around the sideways buildings again as Ichigo disappeared next to him to return to his body. And without even thanking him, the little bastard.

…Odd, he missed the outside world already. Well, there was no point in staying out there anyways. That pussy Renji wasn't nearly strong enough to fight.

"Are you ok with this?"

Shiro looked up at Tensa Zangetsu, his face blank before the corners of his mouth twitched up into a smile.

"The king will always be mine. No one else can own him except me, because the king won't let anyone else own him, but… I don't mind sharing the king."

Maybe this way he could get in some good ass kicking with Zabimaru too. He smirked again.

Eh, this is nothing special. Written in like, three days, so it's not the best quality.

Just something that came to mind, and I thought "Why not?"

Hope everyone likes it just the same!