Toushiro wearily opened his eyes, then sat up. And immediately wished he hadn't. He groaned, not having felt this sore since he started the Shinigami Academy.

"If you think you feel bad, you should try being me," the body next to him mumbled, eyes still closed. "I did not need to know I was that flexible."

"A hot shower better help, or Shiro's in for a world of hurt."

"Shut. Up. You're gettin' him excited again."

Hitsugaya cringed at the thought of another encounter with the hollow so soon. Instead of making further comment, he stood up and got himself that shower.


Kon woke still in a dream-like bliss, holding the taichou in his arms. She was sleeping soundly, limps completely wrapped around the other. He smiled, trying to hold Rukia even closer. 'Who knew a miracle could happen to the same person four times?'


"Ichigo, you need to get up some time today. You have your own squad to run now," Hitsugaya told him after drying off and dressing. "You can't just dump everything on Hisagi-fukutaichou."

"Isn't that the purpose of having a fukutaichou?"

"If it is, someone needs to inform Matsumoto. I'm leaving now."

"Ah, yes. Have your own pile of paperwork to attend to, don't you?"

"Actually, I was thinking of going out for some watermelon."

"Mm, it's been awhile, hasn't it?" the other replied, hearing what his lover wasn't saying.

"I will come by your division later."

"Kay. See you later."

With a nod, the shorter left.

He took his time to reach his destination, not because he was dreading or not looking forward to it, but because as much as these visits meant to him, they took a lot of energy out of him.

No one bothered him on his way, one of the perks of being known as such an 'icy' taichou. One quick glare and whomever was bothering him assumed they were in trouble and made themselves scarce. He had to admit, at least to himself, that was one aspect of his life he throughly enjoyed. Approaching the 4th Squad building, he glanced down to the bag he was carrying, hoping his fukutaichou had actually gotten the right kind this time.

"Hitsugaya-taichou! How good to see you."

"Hello, Unohana-taichou."

"You'll be happy to know Momo-chan has been doing quite well," the woman told him as they walked.

"That is good to hear. However, I'm guessing in that time Aizen has not come up?"

"No, he has not. We do not want to provoke her."

"I know, and nor do I. But she's always perfectly fine until..." both his voice and his feet stopped in front of his childhood friend's room. The door was wide open. Inside, Hinamori was gleefully 'attacking' a crayon drawing on the wall. It was definitely a person, but no distinguishing features.

Except orange hair.

The girl was poised as if she still had her zanpakuto, 'slicing' the drawing.

"Momo?"

"Oh! Shiro-chan!" she greeted him. "Look! He killed Aizen-taichou, so I'm killing him in revenge! Aren't you proud?"

He wasn't sure how, but Hitsugaya found his breath. "Of course, Momo."

"Yes, yes," Unohana-taichou said, lowering the girl's arms. "We're all very proud of you. I think you've earned a nap, don't you?"

Hinamori nodded.

"Well, here we go, then," the woman said, guiding the other to her bed.

"You'll visit again later, won't you, Shiro-chan?" she asked sleepily, curled up in the blanket.

"You know I can't stay away from you long," he told her.

She giggled, then closed her eyes. The woman escorted him outside.

"'Been doing quite well,' was it?" he asked angrily.

"Honestly, Hitsugaya-taichou, I haven't seen that sort of behavior from her in ages."

"But you haven't been mentioning Aizen. So she brought him up on her own."

"It would seem so."

"How long does she sleep for?"

"Usually two or three hours at a time."

"I will return then."


"Oi, Shuuei," Ichigo called to his new fukutaichou. "How pissed do you think they'd be if I changed my name?"

The other smirked. "Sick of your own one already?"

"I can't believe I let myself get talked into this bullshit."

"And to think, there are those who would kill to be in your position."

"Yeah... can't we give this job to one of them?" he asked as a Hell Butterfly made its way in through an open window. It landed on Hisagi's finger.

"Hitsugaya-taichou wants to see you. It's urgent," he said. "Man, I hope you two just aren't-" He looked toward Ichigo to find the taichou was already gone. "He better not just be getting laid."


Toushiro's reiatsu was an easy find, although Ichigo was a bit surprised as to where he found it: in the taichou's quarters. Toushiro only went to his room to sleep, or, well, you know... Point was, the likelihood of the other being there in the middle of the day was almost nonexistent.

Ichigo practically flew upstairs in the room. He found the other taichou sitting on his bed, his captain's cloak and sword sitting across from him on a nearby chair. He was looking at the two items so intently...

"Toushiro?" Ichigo asked hesitantly.

"Would you say that I am strong?" the shorter asked, not taking his gaze from it s current position.

"Did something happen with Hinamori?"

"Would you say that I am strong?"

The taller sighed. "Yeah."

"Then why couldn't I protect her?"

The other bit his lip.

"She's one of the most important people to me. She was in danger the whole time she was Aizen's fukutaichou, and I didn't see it. I was as fooled by his exterior as everyone else. Why couldn't I see it?"

"So because you care for Hinamori so much, you should have been able to magically see through him? Sorry Toushiro, that's not how it works."

"It always did in her damn books."

"Huh?"

"The books Momo read. The guy's always able to see through the bad guy and rescue the girl."

"That's known as a fantasy."

"Yeah, I know."

A conflicted look crossed Ichigo's face as he looked at the other. He knew Hinamori blamed him for her beloved taichou's death, Toushiro had told him as much when she first became confined to the 4the Division building.

He'd also told him not to go near her; the taichou wasn't sure how she would react- it could be bad for all three of them.

"Toushiro?"

"What?"

"Forgive me," he said, then immediately shunpo'd out.

"Forgive him? What fo-" Realization dawned on him. "He's not. He better not," he added, re-donning his cloak and zanpakuto, heading for the 4th Division.


"Kurosaki-taichou, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Sorry, Unohana-taichou. I can't do that."

"You can not see Momo-chan. You know that."

"So I've heard. I think I can help."

"Do you?"

"Yeah. I dunno how or why, but I can't let go of this feeling that I should see her, at least once. If it ends badly, I'll never ask again, you have my word."

There was many things Ichigo Kurosaki was known for. Chaos. Confusion. Blatant disregard for the rules.

And being a man of his word.

Unohana-taichou stepped aside.

"Thank you."

Ichigo walked forward to the girl's room, suddenly not sure if he was ready for whatever was about to hit him.

Hinamori's eyes widened when she saw him. She backed away, still under the covers, as if she were looking at a monster. "You've come for me too, haven't you?" she asked. "You killed Aizen-taichou, now you're going to kill me."

"No. Aizen was killed because he wanted to destroy Soul Society."

"But there had to be a good reason! Aizen-taic-"

"He wanted to see it destroyed."

"W-What?"

"I did ask him why he was doing the things he was, and his response was, 'To see that filthy, unworthy world destroyed."

"No! You're lying! He had a perfectly good rea-"

"That was his reason, Hinamori! Would you call that good?"

"It wasn't, it wasn't... Aizen-taichou wouldn't..."

"Hinamori, he wasn't the man you thought he was."

With a loud, heartbreaking cry, the girl covered her ears an began to violently sob. A small, strong hand gripped Ichigo's arm.

Hitsugaya was pissed.


"You've gotten sloppy, Tsuzuki. Well, sloppier."

"Bite me!"

"Charming rebuttal, really. You aren't concentrating."

The shinigami lowered her sword the face the spirit. "I wonder why that is. Oh, right. SOMEONE KEEPS TALKING TO ME!"

Yoruko remained unfazed as she replied, "You should be able to maintain your focus no matter the outside distractions."

"I would so love to hurt you right now."

"Well then," the woman replied, materializing her own version of herself. "You're more than welcome to try."

"What the hell were you thinking?" they heard an angry 10th division taichou yell through the forest trees.

"I thought it might help."

Tsuzuki barely dodged the spirit.

"Oh yeah, because your ideas always work out."

"They do. Just ask Rukia."

And again. "Hey, hold on," she said.

"I should kill you."

"Like you actually would."

The shorter taichou's voice was so low a growl that they nearly didn't hear it. "Soten ni zase, Hyorinmaru."

Then there was an enormous force of reiatsu, immediately followed by another. Tsuzuki was almost forced to her knees, but managed to not only catch herself, but remain standing.

"Hn, your practice actually is paying off," Yoruko noted before the girl ran toward the noise and phenomenal amount of spirit energy.

The two taichou were only a short ways away, in Hitsugaya's usual training area. They weren't endangering anyone, and no one was really nearby, but she had no doubt there would be a crowd soon.

She was right. Rukia and her brother were amongst the first to show. Tsuzuki ran up to then with a small bow. Yoruko had long dissipated.

"Question," the woman was saying to the other as the now-seated shinigami approached. "What happens when two stubborn blockheads decide to have a relationship?"

"Answer," her brother replied. "Enough battle reiatsu to flood Soul Society."

"Tsuzuki," the shorter said. "How long have you been here?"

"We were training nearby and heard them arguing," she replied.

"Dammit. So they really are fighting this time."

"How long do you think they will go on?" Byakuya asked.

"Until one of them is dead," his sister replied. "Fortunate or no, we shouldn't let them go that long. Either they'll work this out along the way or we tie them both down in the 4th Division building until they do."

The man sighed. "Just tying them down would save time."

Rukia laughed. Tsuzuki blinked. She'd heard many things about Byakuya Kuchiki-taichou, but none of them even hinted at a sense of humor. She'd have to ask Rukia about it later. Right now, she had something a bit more important to be doing.

Staying on her feet. Fucking taichou-level spirit energy.

"Tensa Zangetsu!"

It was actually getting easier, and she managed to convince herself that was why she was hanging around. It was a type of training. It had nothing to do with wanting to see how this went.

"Daiguren Hyorinmaru!"

"You don't think this is unresolved sexual tension, do you?"

Tsuzuki shut her ears. She did not want to hear the man's response.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

Yay. Distraction.

When did they get so bloodied up?

"Fucking hell, Toushiro! You just gonna keep coming 'till we both drop?"

Hello, explanation.

"Can it! You've done enough talking for a lifetime!"

Maybe not.

"Kuchiki-taichou...," the seated shinigami asked, unknowingly gaining both's attention. "Are you certain we should just leave them be?"

"Yes," Rukia answered. "I know they look bad..." She seemed to be trying to figure out a way to explain. "Do you remember their last fight? When they were only sparring?"

"It's hard to forget."

The woman smiled. "Can you see any differences in that and what's going on now?"

Tsuzuki looked back at the two men. "Hitsugaya-taichou is keeping Hyorinmaru mostly around himself, and not attacking Ichigo-taichou with him..."

"And Ichigo hasn't called on his hollow," the other finished. "They're only using their blades, for the most part. Whatever this problem is, it has caused a great rift between them, and it needs to be solved- not as quickly as possible, but in as much time as needed."

The fifth seat just gawked. "I knew there was a reason I was a lesbian," she said to the taichou's laughter.

"How is Orihime?"

"Oh, she's doing well, I think," was the reply, the speaker suddenly feeling a bit light headed. Without thinking, she grabbed onto Rukia's coat for balance, but found it futile, and the world went black.


A/N: Yeah, I suck.

Kon's miracles:

–surviving when all the other mod souls were being destroyed

–that Ichigo and Rukia didn't turn his butt in when they figured out what he really was

– safe extraction from the pill

– that Rukia loved him back