Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kibo and I don't make any money from writing this.

Contains: Fluff, H/C, Swearing and stuff.

Author's Note: I'm really surprised this hasn't turned into full on smut yet. Thanks for all the support though. And I think FF's formatting is still screwing with me....oh well.

It was getting late, and still Ichigo wasn't back yet.

Kon let out a heavy sigh as he ceased his agitated pacing around the bedroom. Once again Ichigo was out late hunting hollows when there were perfectly competent Shinigami representatives there in the city. The number of hollows appearing had been steadily increasing, no doubt their numbers would continue to rise until the 'traitors' finally got off their asses and began the war. Honestly, even if they hadn't started to use that demented marble Urahara-san made yet, things already appeared pretty warlike to him.

"This isn't fair!" Kon yelled at the empty room. Stupid Soul Society. Stupid Shinigami. It was their own damn fault they had a madman attacking not only their own world but this one as well. Then they had the nerve to drag Ichigo, Inoue-san, Chad-san, and that bossy boy who was always sewing girly crap onto his plush body into the whole fiasco. What would happen when they were no longer useful to the Shinigami? A small shudder ran through him. Kon knew only too well how they treated things and people they deemed useless.

There was that uneasy sense of dread creeping back up on him again. He was only a modsoul but he wanted to protect what was important to him too! Just because he thought everyone was a little too serious didn't mean he couldn't be serious too. Kon had ideas, dreams, and....feelings. It just wasn't fair that he felt so useless at times like this.

At least when Ichigo was around he could try to get the guy to lighten up or relax a bit. He had a purpose then. It wasn't some grand crusade but it still mattered a great deal to him. Kon ran his fingers through his unruly orange hair, trying to will away the depressing direction his thoughts were taking. Why did everything always have to be so damn difficult all the time?

So deep in his thoughts was he that he didn't even notice when a tired looking Ichigo appeared in the frame of the window. Ichigo cocked an eyebrow at the sight of the usually bouncy modsoul frowning in the middle of his room.

"Did something happen?"

Kon jerked his head up, surprised by Ichigo's sudden appearance. Registering the question he'd been asked he pasted his trademark goofy grin back on his face.

"You're back Ichigo!"

Ichigo was nearly knocked back out of the window when Kon launched towards him, smothering him in a massive hug. Ichigo managed to maneuver them safely onto his bed, even as Kon attempted to squeeze the stuffing out of the poor shinigami. Ichigo patted Kon's back awkwardly, obviously still unused to any contact that didn't involve hitting or being hit.

"Geez Kon, it's not like I was gone for long."

"Yeah, but you were still gone." Kon gave an exaggerated pout. A hint of pink rose on Ichigo's cheeks.

Ichigo cleared his throat. "Well....you can let go now."Kon nuzzled Ichigo's shoulder. "Do I have to?" He asked plaintively.

And there it was, that bright red blush that more then anything made Ichigo resemble a strawberry. Score!

Giving a real smile this time Kon let go of Ichigo, sliding down to recline himself back on the bed. It was always a relief to see him come back unharmed.

Ichigo mumbled something intelligible about 'clingy modsouls' as he stepped down from the bed and leaned Zangetsu against the wall. He shucked off his sandals and with the click of the light switch he lowered himself on his back next to Kon. It was an unspoken agreement that if Ichigo came back late Kon got to stay in his body for the whole night. Which was just as well because he couldn't hold Ichigo like he wanted to when he was small and plushy.

Only now was Kon starting to feel the tension in his bed companion. He must've been more distracted then he thought if he hadn't noticed it before. Sometimes Ichigo really let too much of the stuff that happened during the day get to him. But that was why he was here.

"Ichigo." Kon prodded the shinigami's clothed stomach.

"What?"

"What're ya thinking about?"

"Nothing, go to sleep."

"What if I promise I won't laugh?"

"Drop it Kon."

"C'mon Ichi, you can tell me."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You'll feel better if you do."

"Fine! Orihime....just sorta blurted out that she loves me today. Like really loves. I fucking froze. I didn't know what to say. Then she started babbling and ran away when I didn't say anything. She probably hates my guts now."

Kon just stared at him, lost for words. Had Ichigo never really noticed Inoue-san's attraction to him before?

Ichigo rolled onto his side to face away from Kon. Waves of self-loathing rolling off the emotional teen.

"Just leave me alone tonight."

Kon couldn't help but wince at that. He was supposed to be helping Ichigo, but he didn't really know what to do in that situation. 'I'll just give him his space tonight, we'll both feel better in the morning.'

It was at least a few hours later, and Kon still couldn't get the sound of Ichigo's pained voice out of his head. He really just wanted to hug the boy next to him but.....damn he'd screwed up. How badly he had screwed up was only apparent when a white figure, the exact negative of the two lying in the bed materialized near the bed. Even in the dark it was easy to see he was absolutely drenched, his normally spiky hair plastered to his face. And if those angry yellow eyes glaring at Kon were any indication, he was also: Very. Pissed. Off.

"It's raining fucking buckets. And the Old Man's just sitting there on his damn pole being all mysterious and shit. I should wake the strawberry up and make him see how much he likes getting rained on."

This wasn't the first time he'd just shown up out of the blue like this, he only seemed to appear though when Ichigo was asleep.

The two had reached an understanding awhile ago. When things were bad for Ichigo they were also ultimately bad for the both of them as well. Oh Shirosaki still did his damnedest to take over Ichigo's mind, but when he physically manifested there was a truce, they both needed Ichigo in one piece. Even if the hollow merely wanted him that way so his victory could be that much sweeter when he became King.

"Was hoping tonight you'd get off your ass and finally make your move. Instead you make him do the mental re-enactment of a friggin' monsoon."

"I was trying to help! You're in his mind, you tell me if what I did was wrong." Kon huffed. Stupid uppity hollow thought he was so damn perfect.

"How in the hell should I know? Mr. Sensitive must not have liked whatever you did. Maybe he finally got freaked out about being touched by his own body? Or maybe you just suck at getting into his pants." Shirosaki seemed to calm down a bit, perhaps belittling the modsoul put him in a better mood.

If there was anything nearby he could've safely chucked at the insane whitewashed creep, he would have. Then again chucking things at a hollow did not seem like a good idea in hindsight.

"So what do we do?"

"You screwed up, you fix it. And if he's still drowning the place out tomorrow I'm gonna be drowning you." With that the hollow vanished as quickly as he had appeared.

Great. Just great. Well if he was going to die anyway he might as well make the last night worth it. Kon moved closer to Ichigo and pressed himself against his back, then brought his hand up to hold Ichigo's. He inhaled deeply, the shinigami always smelling so sweet. Like one of those exotic fruits.

Leaning over he whispered to him.

"I love you."

He almost thought he imagined it when he felt his hand being given a gentle squeeze.