A/N: So, I had this chapter about 90 percent written out, then the puter apparently got hungry, cus it ate it. Yeah. That's why this took so long. There'll be an epilouge after this, but then that's it for this one. Hope you've had fun!

Toushiro groaned in pain.

"I can stop, you know," Ichigo informed him, currently straddling the shorter's middle while he lay on his stomach.

"Don't you fucking dare," he warned. The orange-haired male gave surprisingly good back rubs, as long as-

"Hey, I was thinking about this Makaila thing."

Except when he insisted on talking through them. "What about it?" the tensai sighed.

"Well, Shiro and me are still in the same head."

"We started that way. I thought we established she's a crazy scientist."

"She actually found a way to seperate you two?"

"Yes, but I don't recommend it."

"That bad?"

Toushiro let out a low grumble. "World's worst headache for a damn week- and that was the least of my problems. She was the one... 'in charge,' as it were, and I assure you, that was the only reason it happened."

"Her loss is my gain. So now she's got some way to completely sever your connection?"

"Apparently. She seems almost desperate to do so."

"You seem as if you couldn't care less."

"I would love to be free of her, however, her means are not always best."

"You think she's gonna kill you both in the process."

"More or less."

"Have you so little faith in yourself?"

"That was not funny, Kurosaki. Shut the hell up."

"Yes, Taichou."

"Baka," Toushiro muttered, starting to sound a bit drowsy.

The taller grinned bit, keeping silent while easing the other's tension. It was no time before the other's breathing began to even out; Ichigo leaned forward to lay his head against the tensai's back. His heartbeats were slow and steady- the guy was passed out. Toushiro could fake sleep with the best of them; but his heart beat never lied.

As soon as his significant's other's slumber was confirmed, Ichigo got up as easily as he could, careful not to wake the teal-eyed male and suffer his wrath. But when he had finally made it to his own room, an... interesting sight was waiting for him. Sai and Yu, in their respective bodies, were making out on the bed. Talk about wierd.

"Uh, guys?"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Sai repeated over and over while Yu hid under the covers.

"Hey, quiet! Quiet! I don't care guys, but can ya take it to the next room? Just don't wake Toushiro unless you want a lotta AC really quick."

The two temporary souls nodded, and Ichigo pulled his portable CD player and unplugged the headphones, replacing them with a small speaker. He still hadn't listened to Toushiro's full album, and was VERY interested in what else his lover deemed worthy to sing about. He was barely into the first song, one he'd already heard the shorter male sing, when a visitor arrived.

"Hey, is that Hitsugaya-taichou?" a familiar voice asked from the window. Ichigo had left it open out of a long-used and hard-to-break habit- if Toushiro couldn't get into his room when he himself was alive, there was hell to pay. No matter where he was now, it seemed like he couldn't go to sleep or even concentrate on anything if the thing wasn't open at least a little. "He really is good."

"Yeah," the taichou confirmed and agreed. "Why the hell are you here, Kon?"

"To ask your help," he replied bluntly.

"With what?"

"I wanna buy something for Rukia."

"Why would I be able to help with that?"

"You know her as well as I do; you'd be able to help me pick it out."

"Pick what out, exactly?"

"A ring."

Hazel eyes widened, looking at the other as if he'd lost his mind. "A... ring? Meaning what I think it does?"

"Yeah. My nightmares have had a lot of pink in them since I decided to."

"I can't imagine." Ichigo replied truthfully.

"I did ask her brother's permission; that had to of gained me points."

"Actually, yeah, it probably did. Byakuya does seem the traditional type. And since you're going ring shopping, he must've been ok with it."

"After giving me the silent treatment for the ten longest minutes of my life!"

"But he did agree."

"...Yeah."

"And keep it down; Toushiro's sleeping."

"I was until someone's fornicating woke me up!" the tensai's voice came from the next room- two half naked temporary souls dove for under the sheets in Ichigo's room. The white haired male, in pajama pants only, followed groggily. "Why did you think it would be all right for them to fuck five feet from me, Kurosaki?" he growled.

"Cus I forgot Yu's a moaner."

"You're all morons," he grumbled, turning back to his room.

"So ya know, Sai's gonna be followin' you around today!"

And aburptly turned back. "Excuse me?"

"Me and Kon are gonna go play with the other kids today."

"Ugh... Whatever. I still have three hours."

When he woke later, he found his significant other was indeed missing and Sai in his place. "Good morning, Toushiro-san!"

"Coffee."

"Yes, sir!"

At least Sai didn't fight with him. "Get yourself and Yu something too." While he didn't particually care for eating himself, the temporary soul seemed to adore it. As long as they didn't get his body and Ichigo's gigai three feet wide, he couldn't care less how nurishment got to them.

After he finished getting dressed and repacking his bag, he found the breakfest plates cleaned out and placed back for room service. Sai stood at the door when he exited, Yu bounced up to him. Toushiro reclaimed his body and handed the soul pill to his lover's replacement. "Hold on to him."

Sai grinned, and nodded.

"What are you so happy about?"

"You didn't call him 'it.'"

"Niether Kurosaki nor I do that."

"I know; we really appreciate it."

"Ugh, that grin's creepy on that face," the tensai grumbled, donning a pair of sunglasses to block the morning sun and walking to the elevator to the lobby.

After landing ing the bus, he glanced at the orange-haired male across from him, who was looking out the window as if he'd never seen the outdoors before. Toushiro sighed internally. Of course him and Ichigo would hold on to them both; but the truth was, the temporary souls were living on borrowed time, and knew it. It was highly unlikely they'd been needed for this length of time, if at all, after Toushiro's death.

He looked around. It was only the two of them and the bus driver. "Sai," he said, holding out his hand expectantly.

The other looked confused. "You want...?"

"Yu. Yes. Give him to me."

Eyebrows still furrowed, the taller did so. The tensai took the pill, and was soon again released from his body. Climbing out the open window, he took a seat on the roof. The sun had finished rising, and was now climbing the cloudy sky. It was a mangificent sight. He allowed himself a light smile; this was how one should travel.

"But Ichigo!"

"Look, you asked me to come for my opinion. I gave it; I'm going home."

"But-But-"

"Good God, how does Rukia put up with your whiny ass? Just pick one before that storekeeper kills us both!" the taichou said, nodding the man trying very hard to remain polite and composed.

The ride took most of the day; Toushiro was a little surpirsed Ichigo wasn't back yet- usually the other male could only take Kon for a few hours at a time. He half expected the other male to already be at the hotel when he arrived. Ichigo wasn't, but there was another presence in the room he knew just as well.

"Sai, go to my mother's room awhile, will you?"

"I'm supposed to-"

"Stay with me. I know. Just for a bit, all right?"

"Ok, Toushiro-san, if you say so."

"I do. Go."

The temporary soul begrugingly left the room. Teal eyes narrowed. "You can come out now," he said.

"My, I wasn't that obvious, was I?" Makaila giggled.

"Only to me."

"Oh, good! I was starting to think I was losing my touch. Speaking of which," she added, and before the male realised she had done it, there was a rather pointy object embeded in his neck. Gasping for air, he managed to look down. A sword, yes, but not a zanpakuto. Good.

As good as having your air supply cut off can get, anyway. He knew he'd be a shinigami again, but this fucking hurt. It always did. And her giggling did nothing to ease the pain. His body instinctively gasped for what it could not get, a desperate attempt to survive, despite how futile it was.

"I am sorry," she said.

He looked up long enough to glare his feelings on the matter, despite how hazy his vision was becoming; his legs then buckled, forcing him to his knees. Getting dizzy. Spitting up blood. Good. This would be over soon. Suddenly, he felt glad Ichigo wasn't back yet. That baka didn't need to see this by any means.

His lungs tired one last time to suck in the air they so desperately needed, then everything was black.

He opened his eyes again almost immediately. The first thing he saw whas his own dead face looking back at him. Creepy for many, but when you'd been through the same routine for centuries...

"What the hell was that for?" he asked the redhead.

"So you'd help me," she replied.

"I already told you-"

"'Over my dead body,' correct?"

Toushiro sighed. "Only you would take that literally."

"Now you'll help, right?"

"No!"

"But... if this works, we'll be completely free of each other."

"I've heard that before."

"So I was only half right that time! Please, won't you at least come see?" she askd with an innocent smile.

Toushiro knew she was full of crap, but he could help... oh, to be completely free of this woman. "Fine. I'll go after you."

She dove into his personal space, her face inches from his own. "Do you promise?" she asked suggestively.

He swallowed hard. "I promise."

"Ok! See you in a bit!"

"Toushiro, want some ice cream?"

"..."

"Kay, I'll be back in a bit."

"Kuro- Ugh, why bother?" the tensai mumbled, takin a seat on a nearby bench. 'It'll be interesting to see what he comes back with, knowing I don't much like sugar,' he aded to himself with a smirk. If it was too sugary, it was going in Kurosaki's face.

Minutes later, Ichigo was back across the park with two cones- one of which was handed to is significant other. 'Huh,' Toushiro realised with a taste. 'Vanilla. Good boy.'

'Ugh... my head,' the taichou thought now, realizing he was gaining conciousness. "What the hell...?" A quick glance around told him he was indeed in Makaila's lab in Hueco Mundo, just as he'd promised. He had come willingly, too, just as promised, but when had he...? Oh. Fuckin' Makaila. She'd stuck him with something the second he'd walked in. What she'd wanted to test, no doubt.

The woman was in the room as well, amongst the clutter she called a workspace. Such a friggin slob.

On he bright side, whatever she had stuck in him didn't seem to be affecting him too badly, aside from the temporary loss of conciousness. He stood, noting various fluids amoungst the papers and books in the room- there was no telling what she'd stuck him with.

"Sweetie! You're awake!" Now that was odd. She'd just noticed he was awake? Not in any gigai now, her long red hair still hung free behind her, but her thin frame was now wrapped in the inverted shihaikuso of Hueco Mundo, along with her labcoat. Her mask actually resembled a piece of bone, which extended from her jaw to collarbone.

"What was in that siringe?" he asked coldly.

"He-he! I already told you all about it!" she reminded him. "We're not the same anymore, therefore, our fates are no longer intertwined! Isn't it wonderful, Sweetie?"

"It would be wonderful if you would stop calling me that."

"... Aren't you happy?" Makaila's green eyes were wide. "I-I thought for sure this would make you happy..." Toushiro sighed, briefly wondering if all women were this emotional or if he were just lucky. "This is a merely a test of your theory, is it not?"

"Oh, that's true," she realized. "In fact," she added with a rather sad smile. "It was the testing that I was looking forward to."

A white eyebrow arched. "Oh?"

She nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck. "It was. But you have Ichigo-kun, and those awful moral things. Do you feel any different? A-about me, that is?"

"Yes," he replied, not breaking his expression or stature.

The readhead's hands relaxed against his back, avioding his gaze. "Y-You don't want to at all, do you? Not just cus of Ichigo-kun, you just..."

"I see a comrade, nothing more."

Her hands fell, looking down in an attempt to hide her tears. "I-I see."

Toushiro's frown deepened. "That was not the response you expected?"

"No," she sniffed. "It was."

"Then why are you crying?"

"Because it worked."

"What? You're not making any sense." The only time he'd seen her shed tears was after a long awaited theory was proved wrong.

Makaila smiled, drying her tears. "Since when is that any different from usual?"

"You're usually laughing when you don't make sense, not crying."

"I'm not crying anymore."

"True..." Then it made sense. Somewhere along the way, past all the fighting, emotional bagage, and hormonal DNA, she'd genuinely fallen in love with him.

Fuck.

But she seemed to be doing all right, well, as all right as one could be; and very noble.

"Swe- Toushiro. Go back to the world of the living. I'm sure Ichigo-kun's getting worried, and I doubt he'll just sit by and wait."

A sick look crossed the tensai's face as a feeling of unease settled over him.

The woman giggled. "See? You're already worried about him."

"I'm not worried. That moron can get into all the trouble he wants."

"All the same..."

"If we can advert some havoc, we should."

"Good bye, Hitsugaya-taichou."

"Good bye, Makaila." He paused, then added, "Thank you."

While Toushiro flash stepped away, both knew they would likely never cross paths again.

The white haired male got back just in time to see Ichigo discover the scene in the hotel room. Sai was with him, looking quite distraught, though the taller didn't look upset; he seemed to be trying to figure something out.

Moron.

"How far has your thought process gone, if at all?" the tensai asked, coming through the window.

"Toushiro-san!" the temporary soul greeted him happily.

"Toushiro..." Ichigo said only, staring at the newcomer.

"What's the matter, Kurosaki?" the shorter smirked. "Never seen a shinigami before?"

"Did Makaila...?"

"Yes, she did a fine job of killing me, even if it was a bit prolongued. What did you think happened?"

"I didn't know... I thought..."

"Kurosaki, obviously she didn't kill me with a zanpakuto."

"That's obvious now! Not so much ten minutes ago! Friggin asshole."

"We do need to do something about this."

"About what?"

"The dead 11-year-old."

"That'd be you, genius."

"I'm aware of that. But when they find that body and there will an investigation."

Ichigo eyed is 'twin' thoughtfully. "Sai, time to come out."

"Aww...ok."

"Don't worry; we'll get you and Yu a couple gigai and you can live with Urahara."

"Really, Ichigo-san?"

"Sure. Already talked it over with him."

"Kurosaki..."

"What? The only person he's got helpin' him run that place is Tessai- those two brats don't do anything. He needs the help."

"Be that as it may... where is Kon? You didn't kill him, did you?"

"Not for a lack of wanting to. He went home after he finally picked a friggin ring out."

"Ring?"

"Yup."

"Didn't know he had it in him."

"Seconded."

Sai had taken Ichigo's shinigami badge from his back pocket; the teen caught the small green pill before i fell to the floor with his gigai. "Toushiro, just human are these things?"

"Meaning, would a cornener notice the difference? Unlikely."

"Sweet." The orange-haired male took the weapon in the shorter male's body's throat, dug it into the gigai's chest, then wrapped its hand around it. "Whatta think?"

"Quite the crime scene. Congradualtions, you had a good idea."

"Had to happen someday. So now what? We still worrying about Makaila?"

"No, we're not," he other replied curtly. "Back to Soul Society, I suppose."

"Ah, home sweet home."

"Whatever."

"Um, about Makaila," Ichigo dared to ask when they arrived at Toushiro's quarters.

The shorter glared from he futon he'd just sat down on. "What about her?"

"This is just curiousity," the other quickly stated. "But is she still, er, do you still-"

"She doesn't appear to have that pull on me any longer."

"Good. More for me," the taller said, sitting beside him.

Teal eyes rolled. "You are so self-involved."

"You love me anyway."

"Rub that in."

"With pleasure."

"One track mind."

"Oh, come on. I haven't had you in your shinigami glory in a long while."

"I won't be in my 'shinigami glory' until I get my rank back. I just barely got what I had prior on my bankai."

"Well, then, let's go see the old man; tell him you're back."

"Nn, later," Toushiro muttered, closing the space between them.

Ichigo moaned loudly when the tensai pushed him down on the futon, then straddled he taller's middle. "Missed you too."

"Shut up and fuck me."

"Can do."

Both had uniforms off in record time; the white-haired male immediately took the other's hand and slid his fingers into his own mouth.

"Damn, Toushiro," Ichigo cursed, absorbing the sight like his favorite drug. Once he shorter was satisfied, he released the digits and the owner reached around the shorter male; who gasped, feeling them work in and outof him.

"Ah, Ichigo," he whispered; the taller pulled him even closer, loving the sound of his name on the other's lips.

"Say it again."

"Make me, Baka."

The hazel eyed male bit down on the shorter's neck.

"Ah! Ah, Ichigo..."

"Yeah, Toushiro? Whatcha need?"

"D-don't..."

"It's a simple question," the taller told him, relishing the want all over his lover's face. He always had to make sure Toushiro was in a damn compliant mood before pulling this one- the tensai was not above leaving in the middle of sex if pissed off.

"Baka..."

"Come on, Toushiro, just tell me," Ichigo insisted.

"Y-you. Baka."

"Me?" I'm flattered."

"Stop fucking around and fuck me," the shorter growled. Ichigo gulped; knowing to stop. He wasted no more time entering the other. Both cried out loudly, clinging tightly to one another. The taller male's thrusts slowed a bit when he felt Toushiro's warm cum between them, then after a few moments, picked up his pace again. Tears stung the tensai's eyes at the sensory over load, and just as overload was dimming down to pleasure again, he felt Ichigo come inside him as well. But he wasn't worried; the other's stamina was not something to be underestimated.

Ichigo stood proudly with the fellow taichou the next afternoon. Yamamoto handed Toushiro his new haori, which he wasted no time donning. The taichou of Division Ten then turned to take his place among them.

"Now," the chotaichou said. "We have many things to discuss today. Kurosaki, wipe that look off your face."

"Sorry, sir."

Toushiro sighed; Ichigo was definately still Ichigo, despite the time that had passed. It was, indeed, good to be back.