WARNING! Ogichi is a little OOC in this chapter. Keep in mind, it's been quite a few years since his little smackdown with Ichigo, and I have had him change quite a bit. It's another one of those "see under the mask" things, Toshiro manages to get under the Hollow's mask and see who he really is.
Hope you enjoy!
I don't own Bleach. I cry.
Chapter 7
"Toshiro… Come on, yuki hime, open your eyes…"
Toshiro groaned softly, his eyes clenching before they fluttered open. He found himself lying with his head in Ichigo's lap, worried chocolate eyes focused on him as he ran his hands through white hair.
"Ichigo?"
The orange-head sighed in relief, leaning to place a kiss on Toshiro's forehead. "Thank god. I was starting to get worried. Sorry, yuki hime, I shouldn't have lost control like that."
"No, it's alright, he didn't hurt me. He just… startled me." Toshiro murmured, pushing himself up and looking around. His eyes widened. "W-Where are we?.!"
Ichigo chuckled faintly. "Welcome to my mind, Toshiro. Odd, isn't it?"
Toshiro snorted, looking around at the sideways world, the skyscrapers on a tilt. "I think that's an understatement…"
They both looked up at the distorted high-pitched giggle. Ichigo sighed, rubbing a hand over his hair at the sight of his bone-white Hollow. "Ogichi…"
"Yea, yea…" he murmured, waving a black-nailed hand. "Shouldn't have done that."
Ichigo rolled his eyes, but Toshiro interrupted them. "It's okay, Ichigo, really."
"Oh, don't worry; I'm not mad at him." Ichigo said lightly. "I know he wouldn't hurt you, he likes you too."
Ogichi folded his legs, sitting beside them. "Besides, Hollow might I be, I would never harm pups. They are too rare as it is."
"Pups?" Ichigo asked, raising a brow.
"It's what Hollows call their young." Ogichi responded. "We almost never have pups, never need to. Every now and then, though, it happens, and so they are to be cherished."
Toshiro folded his arms. "So, Ichigo? Explain this."
Ichigo sighed. "Long story, yuki hime. I'll try to make it a little shorter for you. I lost my shinigami powers for a bit when Byakuya and Renji came for Rukia. Urahara helped me get them back. That, however, included me becoming a Hollow for a short time."
Toshiro jumped as cold hands touched his neck and he whirled to look into golden eyes. Ogichi grinned sheepishly. "My bad. I just wanted to… touch."
Ichigo glared at the Hollow. "Ogichi."
"No, it's okay." Toshiro said gently. "I don't mind."
This wrenched a wide eyed stare from Ichigo. "What? It took you forever to let me touch you so freely."
By now Toshiro was leaning against Ogichi's chest, sitting between the Hollow's spread legs while the long fingered white hands stroked over his stomach. "You weren't locked in someone's head with no human contact. Besides, I can sense your trust in him, so I trust him too."
"Technically I am you." Ogichi murmured to his partner. "I already told you, I won't hurt him."
Ichigo grumbled faintly, but didn't make any more protests. "Anyway… I didn't have too much trouble with him at first, but before long he was getting out a lot. Then I met a group of vizards, and they helped me get him under control."
"We didn't like each other much." Ogichi put in, a small smirk on his face.
His response was a snort. "Understatement. After a while, though, we formed an alliance and a friendship. We trust each other now, as well as have a certain amount of respect for each other."
"He is the King, after all." Ogichi said. "He's a bit of a whelp, but he's improved under my training."
Ichigo nodded. "We tend to know the same things, but he does know how to use Zangetsu a little better, so I asked him to train me."
Ogichi chuckled faintly. "Zangetsu is a part of me, after all, I know him better than anyone."
Toshiro frowned slightly, tilting his head to look at the Hollow he was leaning against. "His zanpaktou is a part of you?"
The Hollow nodded, his golden eyes gleaming faintly. "As I grew more powerful Ichigo's power came from me rather than Zangetsu. So he became a part of me just as I was a part of him when he was still the main source of power."
"Oh…"
Silence reigned for a moment, and then Ichigo spoke softly. "Are you angry with me, Toshiro?"
Toshiro hummed to himself. "A little, I suppose. While I understand why you wanted to keep this from me, I would rather have known."
Ichigo slumped slightly, sighing. Toshiro rolled his eyes, moving away from Ogichi and crawling into his lover's lap. He settled his cheek against Ichigo's warm throat, lying between Ichigo's legs. "Ichigo, I'm not extremely angry with you. I'm really not."
Ogichi went forward, laying his head on Toshiro's lap, his chest across Ichigo's leg. "Please don't be sad, King. It's getting cloudy."
Toshiro smiled at this. Ogichi may call Ichigo names and fight with him, but he cared for his partner. The tiny captain petted the Hollow's stark white hair, giggling lightly as a purring came from the Hollow's throat.
The sound got a laugh from Ichigo. "You can purr?.!"
Ogichi's golden eyes narrowed. "Shut up, King."
Toshiro laughed, closing his eyes and pressing himself against Ichigo's chest. The orange-head slipped a hand beneath the tiny captian's chin, raising his face to kiss him gently. "Toshiro moaned softly, clutching to Ichigo's shihakshou and deepening the kiss.
Ogichi closed his eyes, turning away from the lovers. Ichigo, sensitive to his partner's emotions, broke the kiss with a frown. "Ogichi? You okay?"
"Of course, King. Don't worry your prissy self." Ogichi said stubbornly, sitting up and folding his arms.
Toshiro rolled his eyes. "Yea right." He reached out, wrapping his hand in the front of the white shihakshou and dragging the Hollow forward. Ogichi let out a faint squeal before their lips collided.
The kiss was short, the two separating almost instantly. Ogichi simply stared, black/gold eyes wide in shock. Toshiro laughed, his green eyes gleaming faintly. "Silly Hollow."
"But… I'm not…"
Ichigo scoffed, thumping the Hollow over the head. "Baka, you've said it yourself multiple times."
Toshiro nodded. "You are a part of Ichigo, and if I am to truly say that I love him, then I must love all of him." The Hollow jumped as a small hand cupped his white cheek, and then looked into teal eyes.
"Really?"
Toshiro nodded, smiling. "Of course. If I say that I love Ichigo, then I can say that I love you too."
Ichigo snorted to himself. If Ogichi's eyes got any wider they would roll right out of his head.
A grin spread over Ogichi's face, but it wasn't his regular insane grin, it was a sincere smile. "He loves me… Someone loves me!"
Ichigo looped an arm around the Hollow's neck, ruffling his white hair. "Baka. He loves us."
Ogichi could only grin faintly, golden eyes trained on the small captain in front of them. He felt warm inside, accepted for the first time in his existence. He didn't even know how to react.
Toshiro moved closer, stretching his arms out. He was instantly pulled into a double embrace, Ichigo's warm arm going around his shoulders, Ogichi's cold one laying on top of his partner's. Toshiro put an arm around both of their waists, sighing in happiness.
"I love you, Toshiro." Ichigo murmured, kissing the mop of snowy hair.
"I love you too, Ichigo." Toshiro responded. He turned his head, his large teal eyes focusing on Ogichi. "I love you, Ogichi."
The Hollow hesitated, and then smiled. "I love you, and your pups. I would do anything to protect you all of you." He raised his golden eyes to Ichigo. "That means you too, King."
Ichigo grinned. "Thanks partner."
Toshiro closed his eyes, smiling. A family… We are a family…
Also, many people are accustomed to seeing Ogichi called Hichigo. I've seen it both ways, and I took the route easiest for me; when typing I tend to write Ichigo rather than Hichigo, so I used Ogichi instead so I wouldn't mess up and confuse everyone!
