I don't own Bleach or its characters. Hello, hello! Here is installment number two! I really hope you enjoy it. It is such catharsis for me to write this story. Every piece of it is experiences and emotions I've had in my own life. This really is a personal journey you are going to be taking with me as we go reflected through the characters, and I really want to thank everyone who supports and appreciates this work because it's really coming from a vulnerable place. But onward...

Chapter 2

Ichigo was exhausted. He trudged up the stairs at ten p.m. and into the master bedroom, plodding across the lush beige carpet to the door that led to the master bathroom. Thank Kami for small luxuries, he thought to himself as he pulled back the glass door and leaned inside, cranking on the water. Jets streamed out from the various chrome shower heads protruding from the wall. Steam began rising as the water heated and Ichigo felt like he couldn't get out of his clothes fast enough as he shed his clothes and tossed them in the hamper; he was desperate to get his weary muscles beneath the pounding spray.

Once under the water, it was as if every muscle in his back sighed in relief. He carried all his tension in his shoulders and in his neck. He made sure to align the back of his neck up with a jet, letting his head fall forward with a groan as the water beat the soreness and soaked his hair, turning the bright orange locks into an almost auburn color. He stayed that way for a few moments before straightening out and letting the spray start working on his shoulders.

He was so out of it he didn't hear Renji enter, so when large hands encircled his hip bones and pulled him into the hard body behind him, he yelped in surprise.

"Hey babe, let me wash your back for you," Renji murmured in his ear, sending spikes of heat down through Ichigo's abdomen to his lower region.

Ichigo didn't have time to reply before the heat of Renji's body was gone and the cap was popping off the scented body wash Ichigo liked. Renji's hands began swirling the soap over his skin, Ichigo groaning in appreciation when Renji used his thumbs to push into and work at the knots in his muscles.

Renji's intentions weren't just to rub his back and help him get clean however, and Ichigo was well aware of that fact. His own intentions of taking a hot, relaxing shower were also deviating into something far from getting clean. Renji's soap slicked hands slid lower and lower until they were again at his hips, pulling Ichigo back and rubbing his hardness against Ichigo's firm backside.

Ichigo's own manhood was standing straight at attention, wanting Renji's hand to come around and take hold. Ichigo dropped his head back on Renji's shoulder.

"No teasing, I can't wait for it."

Renji's answer was a low moan, sinking his teeth into Ichigo's shoulder while simultaneously parting Ichigo's cheeks and circling his hole. Ichigo sucked in air from the bite and as soon as Renji heard the intake of breath he pushed into Ichigo up to the knuckle.

"Yes!" hissed Ichigo, pushing himself backwards, impatient. Renji let him fuck himself on the digit inside him for a few moments before stilling his moments to push a second finger in with the first.

It was a bit uncomfortable, but Ichigo ignored it in favor of the pleasure that was to come. Renji's hand wrapped around his cock and began pumping and Ichigo moaned out low and long, torn between which way to thrust his hips as pleasure crackled down his spine.

"Ngh, I want to be inside you so bad," Renji said heatedly from behind him, and Ichigo made a keening noise of agreement. Renji withdrew his fingers and Ichigo whined a little as the pleasure ceased momentarily. He didn't even ask Renji how he wanted to do it, his foot rising up to brace his body on the small knee high bench inside their shower, which at the time of sale the realtor explained it was there so ladies could shave their legs easier. Ha!

He leaned forward, his hands splayed out over the smooth gray stone tiles and thrust his ass towards Renji, who did not need telling twice. Ichigo could feel Renji move into position behind him and right after felt the blunt head of Renji's cock against his entrance. Ichigo took a breath and bit his lip as Renji pushed forward, breaching the ring of muscle and sliding in slowly.

Ichigo was never one for patience, ignoring the burn of being filled and canting his hips, trying to force Renji to go faster.

"Kami, Ichigo, you are so damn tight," Renji hissed, gripping Ichigo's hips firmly to keep Ichigo in check. Renji was always concerned with hurting him, ignoring Ichigo's scowl at being treated like he would break.

Once he was fully seated, Renji started up a pace that was much too slow in Ichigo's opinion but nonetheless sent shivers of pleasure to his gut. Renji shifted his angle into one that years of being with Ichigo ensured success and Ichigo moaned out, the head of Renji's cock rubbing over the sensitive bundle inside him.

"There, Ren, more!" Ichigo demanded, trying to not sound too much like a sex-crazed whore. In his defense, it had been two weeks since they had done any actual penetration, just getting each other off quickly here and there with hand or blow jobs.

Renji obliged him, his pace going from 0 to 60 in an instant, rocking Ichigo with the force of his thrusts. Ichigo's hands slid down the wet tiles with every hit to his prostate, his moans of pleasure echoing around the shower and causing Renji to grunt out, "Don't wake Nel!" when he was getting too loud. Ichigo removed a hand from the wall and used it as a gag, stuffing his wrist between lips and biting down to muffle his cries.

Renji's hand was back around his cock again, his thrusts getting more erratic behind Ichigo. They were both close and a well-timed thrust as Renji ran his thumb over the ridge on the underside of Ichigo's cock had him spilling his seed with a gargled cry of Renji's name. The clenching of muscles from Ichigo's orgasm ripped Renji's from him, his tattooed forehead meeting the space between Ichigo's shoulder blades as he came inside Ichigo.

They remained like that for a few moments, letting their heartrates slow and their breathing even out before Renji withdrew from Ichigo, planting a few kisses on his spine. Spent, Ichigo dared to shove off the wall and plant his foot back on the floor, so exhausted and satiated was he now that he wasn't sure he could support himself.

Renji grinned, grabbing the body wash once more and squirting himself a handful before handing it to Ichigo.

"You look like you are going to pass right out. How's that for putting you to bed?"

"Don't be smug, asshole, you enjoyed it just as much as I did. You're lucky you caught me in the shower because we both know if I was riding you on the bed it'd be your ass knocked out until morning with dried cum all over you."

Renji grinned wider.

"That sounds like an excellent idea Ichi, why don't you remember that challenge for tomorrow night then?"

"It's a date then," replied Ichigo from under the spray, rinsing off all the soap from his body.

"I'm going to bed, see you there," he said, squeezing Renji's bicep affectionately as he moved out of the water and toward the shower door. He rolled his eyes at Renji's sarcastic "MMM-HMM" and stepped out of the shower, snatching a fluffy gray towel from the rack and toweling off before heading into the bedroom.

He slid on a pair of boxer briefs and then a pair of black sweatpants, preferring to no longer sleep in his underwear or less now that they had Nel in the house, who had been known to come toddling in from her room at 3 AM dragging her giant Chappy Bunny, wanting to sleep with her daddies because she had a bad dream. He pulled back the comforter and slid in between the sheets, sighing as the pillows cradled his damp head and his body relaxed. The last thing he remembered was hearing Renji turn the shower off before he was dead to the world.

Five-thirty in the morning came way too fast for Ichigo's liking. He angrily glared at the black digital clock as he turned off the alarm quickly, not wanting to wake Renji who was sleeping on the other half of the bed. What he wouldn't give to turn those red numbers back a few hours and go back to bed. Instead, he shoved himself up from the bed and found his socks and running shoes, getting them on and pulling a long sleeve running shirt from a hanger in the closet. He topped it with the matching hoodie to his sweat pants. Once dressed, he dedicated five minutes to deep stretching.

Every morning, Ichigo ran 3 miles. Sometimes it was the only exercise he got, but he did try to get strength training in twice a week as well as go to the dojo with his old man. Physical fitness was important to him; even more so now that he had a child to care for, his health was always on his mind. Renji had the luxury of having a fully equipped work out facility built in the business building where he worked, so he tended to work out there but when his schedule allowed he'd join Ichigo and Isshin at the dojo to spar. There was nothing Ichigo loved more than sex after he'd knocked Renji on his ass. It was almost as if Renji was trying to redeem himself and loosened him up to get a little less precautious with Ichigo in the bedroom.

Ichigo had been running for years and could typically do a mile in seven minutes. Today he was pushing himself harder, trying to make it closer to five or six minutes since he needed to be to work early. If Renji helped him with Nel, it would be fine. He pulled the hood up over his head to protect his ears and jogged out of the gate from his house, headed down his normal route to the park that Nel loved to go play at. He waved to the young man that walked dogs who was all bundled up in a puffy down coat and skirted around the early risers getting coffee at the cafe he passed, his breath leaving visible little puffs in the chilly morning air.

As he made it to the park and jogged around the silent fountain, turned off for the cold season, he spotted the familiar figure in glasses he sometimes would encounter on runs. They fell in step, the other arching a brow in question at Ichigo's faster than normal pace.

"Early day," Ichigo said, "Can't keep up, Ishida?"

The other man let out a small, humorless chuckle.

"Ah, Kurosaki, an educator yourself and still no smarts I see."

Ichigo flipped him the bird, smirking at the other's disdain for his rudeness.

"Tell goat-face I say hi," he said breathily, the two of them parting ways as their routes took them in different directions. Ishida worked at the hospital in Seireitei as a neurosurgeon. When Isshin went there to treat his patients, they often encountered each other at some point. Isshin liked Ishida well enough since Ichigo and he had been friends since high school, although he didn't much get along with Ishida's father, who was the head of the Neurology.

Ichigo slowed his pace as his house came in sight, giving his heart time to come back down from the vigorous exercise. He walked into his now Crayola paint free entry way, kicking off his shoes and bounding up the stairs to get dressed. He tiptoed in the room and into the walk- in closet, closing the door before turning on the light to not wake Renji.

The lucky thing about his job was that it was semi-casual, so often he wore skinny jeans, but since he was going to sit in an interview he opted for a pair of fitted black dress slacks. Since he wore a tie yesterday, he decided he didn't need to today and wore a white dress shirt topped with a nice navy colored silk V-neck sweater his sister Yuzu had picked him out for Christmas last year. He never wore dress shoes; all the kids knew Mr. K wore Converses and had just about every color of the shoe there was. Thankfully Principal Unohana never said a word about it, if she even noticed at all, as busy as she was.

Renji's alarm went off and he fumbled with the bedside table until his hand eventually struck the snooze button, the same as he did every work day. Renji was not a morning person. Ichigo left the bedroom, but not before picking up one of his pillows and bashing Renji in the face with it, ignoring Renji's pleas for five more minutes of sleep.

Next on the list was Miss Nel, who was already awake and jumping on her bed with Giant Chappy, which was amazing to Ichigo every time he saw her do it because the bunny was nearly the size of Nel herself. It was one of the first things they'd ever bought her when she started living with them as a foster and she had instantly formed an attachment to it.

"Morning Daddy Ichi!" Nel cried a little breathlessly, ceasing her jumping to scramble down from the toddler bed in which she slept. Ichigo had decided a few months ago she was too big to be sleeping in a crib and instead purchased her the toddler bed with railing guards on the side to keep her from falling on the floor if she rolled in her sleep. She was so proud to have a big girl bed; it was all she talked about to anyone the first few weeks of having it.

"Good morning, sweetie!" Ichigo said, scooping her up into his arms and kissing her cheeks.

"Let's pick you out some clothes to wear today, but it's pretty cold so let's look for something warm."

Five outfits later, Nel was dressed in black skinny jeans with a gray long sleeved shirt and a puffy purple hooded vest that had no other than Chappy the Bunny on the back. Ichigo quickly plaited her hair into a French braid; a skill Yuzu had insisted on him learning when they first got Nel, claiming her niece couldn't just wear a ponytail all the time. Aunt Yuzu loved doting on Nel, so happy to have a little girl around to dress up and shop with.

Ichigo carried her down the stairs. Yeah, she could walk, but his legs were longer and he was in a hurry. They went into the kitchen and Ichigo was strapping her into her booster seat at the table when Renji joined them.

"Morning Scamp!" Renji said, pretending to punch her jaw. Nel giggled and told Papa Ren about her dream she had while Ichigo heated a pan on the stove and the coffee maker automatically kicked on, programmed to start brewing a pot of coffee every morning. He smiled to himself while he dropped bread into the toaster, listening to Renji and Nel banter back and forth.

"Do you want cereal or yogurt for breakfast, little one?" Ichigo asked her, cracking eggs into the pan on the stove.

"Pancakes!" was Nel's happy reply.

Oh dear Kami, not today, Ichigo thought. When Nel got her heart set on pancakes, it was extremely hard to near impossible to get her to choose something else. Ichigo thought fast.

"How about you eat something here just to get a little food in your tummy, and Aunt Yuzu can make you pancakes at her house?" Ichigo bartered.

"No," replied Nel stubbornly, "Daddy make Nel pancakes."

"Nel, I don't have time to make pancakes this morning, honey. You have the choice of yogurt or cereal to go with your toast," Ichigo reply levelly, scrambling the eggs in the pan.

"NO, Daddy make Nel pancakes now," Nel insisted, crossing her little arms across her chest.

Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose as the toast popped up. He dealt with defiant children all day at school, why did his daughter have to do it too?

"Some help, Papa?" Ichigo asked, grabbing the toast and putting it on a plate, going to the fridge to get the butter.

Renji was scrolling through emails on his phone and apparently wasn't hearing this exchange between Nel and Ichigo at all.

"No, Papa no good. Daddy makes Nel pancakes."

Ichigo snorted from inside the fridge, moving aside jelly, ketchup and a tub of cottage cheese he was sure was overdue the expiration date to get to the butter. She was right; Renji was hopeless at cooking. He could even burn water.

Ichigo began buttering the toast after turning the heat off the eggs. Nel chose that time to start chanting.

"Pancakes for Nel! Pancakes for Nel!"

"Nel, I gave you choices of cereal or yogurt and that is it," said Ichigo, breathing in deep and focusing on the toast.

"PANCAKES FOR NEL!" she demanded, yelling so loud her whole little face turned red.

"NELLIEL MASAKI ABARAI-KUROSAKI!" Renji roared, slamming down his phone on the table. Ichigo dropped the butter knife on the granite countertop in shock and whirled around, staring in disbelief at Renji. Nel's eyes grew large and she instantly burst into tears. Ichigo rushed to her and picked her up, cradling her head to his chest as her small body shook with the force of her sobs.

"Renji! I asked you to back me up, not blow up on her!" Ichigo hissed, rocking Nel back and forth as she clung to him, sobbing her heart out.

Renji looked ashamed of himself, pocketing his phone and standing up, coming over to the pair of them. Ichigo tried to tamp down his anger, reminding himself not everyone had the coping skills to deal with children when they got unruly. But Renji knew better than to yell at a child so small who had been through trauma like Nel.

"Nel, Nel Papa is sorry," Renji apologized, rubbing her back. She wailed louder when he spoke and clung to Ichigo as if she wanted him to absorb her into his body. Renji snatched his hand away from her, looking helplessly at Ichigo.

Ichigo turned and took her across the kitchen to the pantry where they stored the cereal. Right now Renji was the stimulus to her discomfort and she needed to be separated from it.

"Hey, it's okay sweetheart," he said, talking to her softly so if she wanted to hear she'd have to stop crying and calm down.

"Listen, baby, Aunt Yuzu is the one who taught me everything I know about making pancakes. It makes my heart so happy that you love Daddy's pancakes the best, but I promise you that Aunt Yuzu will make you very delicious pancakes."

Nel was listening, her sobs subsiding as she lay hiccupping against Ichigo's chest.

"And, I bet if you ask her super nicely, she can make you Chappy Bunny shaped pancakes. And that is something special only Aunt Yuzu can do. Daddy can only make funny shaped circles."

"R-really?" asked Nel, her watery hazel eyes finding Ichigo's, intrigued.

"Oh yes, Aunt Yuzu has what we grown-ups call culinary skills. She can even give you whipped topping and strawberries."

Nel seemed to mull that over and must have decided she liked the idea of extra sweet Chappy Bunny shaped pancakes.

"Ok, Cheerios," she said, laying her head down on Ichigo's shoulders.

Ichigo sighed in relief, meeting Renji's eyes across the kitchen. He was frowning and there was something in his eyes that Ichigo couldn't read, but before Ichigo could even ask what was wrong, Renji was grabbing a piece of toast.

"I gotta go, I got a mountain of paperwork to attend to before our morning meet as a division."

"Well, what about breakfast? Do you want me to put in a container for you to take?" Ichigo asked, confused.

"No, thanks Ichi, I'll just grab something at work. I got toast for now," Renji said, moving toward the hall to put on his coat.

"But it's already made Renji and the pastries you guys always have in the break room is not healthy, you know it's all sugar and empty calories," Ichigo countered, following him.

"It's fine, really Ichigo, it's not like I won't work it off in the gym," Renji said, his voice taking on a slightly irritated tone.

"Well, suit yourself," Ichigo quipped, turning on his heel and marching back into the kitchen. He shifted Nel to his hip as he poured her Cheerios in a plastic baggie for her to eat on the way to Yuzu's, closing his eyes against the sound of the front door opening and snapping shut as Renji left. He didn't even say goodbye. What the fuck just happened?

He caught sight of the clock on the coffee maker and gasped. He sat Nel down on her feet.

"Can you do Daddy a big favor and be a big girl and put on your boots and coat while I finish up in here? We are in a bit of hurry."

"Sure, Daddy," Nel agreed and tottered off to get her things.

Ichigo grabbed the coffee pot and opened the cupboard, grabbing a large thermos and dumping the aromatic liquid inside, sealing it inside with the top before returning the now empty pot to its home and switching off the machine. He scooped all the eggs into a plastic container; I'll just eat Renji's share for my lunch, he thought, a bit angry that on the morning he needed to be to work early Renji decided to waste breakfast.

The pan went into the sink and Ichigo filled it with water to soak. He grabbed his coffee and lunch, going to meet Nel who was waiting in the hall with her boots on, but no coat.

Ichigo sat his things on the small table, grabbing his own coat from the rack mounted on the wall and shrugging into it.

"How come you are not wearing your coat, Nel?"

"No coat, daddy, I wear my vest."

With that, she pulled up the hood onto her little green head, the fur framing the hood making her look like a large eyed, mini Eskimo.

Don't engage in a power struggle, Ichigo reminded himself. No time for that.

"Alright," Ichigo said, wrapping his red scarf around his neck and tucking it into the front of his pea coat, "I'll wrap you in a blanket then."

He stuffed his things into his messenger bag that contained his laptop and papers from school, and slug it across his chest. He opened the hall closet and found a thick purple quilt and wrapped Nel like a burrito. He hefted her up and hurried out the door, hoping to make it on time to school after dropping Nel off to Yuzu.

End chapter. I tell you from experience, there's nothing like being in a hurry and having kids decide to be defiant! It is soooooooo frustrating! Ichi is an amazing daddy though, isn't he? He has a lot more patience than I do, although I think I'm getting better everyday with that. My oldest son is 7 and has autism, and he has taught me so much about the roller coaster that is life and parenting! Reviews and Comments always appreciated! 3