'Long lost words whisper slowly to me
Still can't find what keeps me here
I know you're still there
Watching me, wanting me
I can feel you pull me down
Fearing you, loving you
Hunting you, I can smell you - alive
Your heart pounding in my head'
- 'Haunted' Evanescence
A white eyebrow arched at the caller ID; more common was a random text here and there. Against his better judgment and because Matsumoto wasn't lurking about, Toushiro answered it. "What do you want?" he drawled.
"An answer," was the unaffected reply.
"That would require a question."
"What you guys wear on your gigai, clothes and stuff, does that stay at Urahara's place?"
"Most of it. Rukia has a few things she keeps with her."
"Not you?"
"It's only clothing," the taichou shrugged, putting down the writing utensil to sit back. "Nothing I'm particularly attached to. With luck, once you're dead, I'll have no further need of it. Why are you asking?"
"White Day."
"White-? Oh. That."
"Rukia got me such a nice present on Valentine's, it's only fair to repay her properly."
Toushiro could practically hear Ichigo grinning. "I hate you."
"No you don't."
Asshole had to still be smiling. Asshole. "Whatever. What does that have to do with what's at Urahara's?"
"Cus I don't want that shady guy anywhere near what I bought her."
"Which was?"
"…Stupid rabbit necklace," the teen muttered. He actually sounded kind of embarrassed. "It's white, and she likes 'em, so, yeah."
"I'm sure she'll like it as well. And since it's from you, I doubt it would stay at Urahara's; there are ways around that, even if it is an item from the living world."
"Thanks, Toushiro. When you guys coming over next? I haven't seen you since then."
"Whenever Rukia decides I've been working too much, pops into my office and makes me open a door at sword point."
"Makes you?"
"I rank higher. If she's with me there's less paperwork."
"Gotcha. Make it soon; if my sisters catch me with this thing I'm never gonna hear the end of it."
Toushiro quickly scanned his calendar. "The actual day is the fourteenth, and that's in two days; how about then?"
"Wow, did you just actually make plans to come see me?"
"Keep being a smartass and we'll let you suffer; don't think I don't know what else you're going to want."
"Guilty as charged," the teen admitted. "But even if it's only for a little bit, I'd still love to see you both."
"Yeah, yeah; keep it in your pants two more days."
"Oh, are you seriously going to tell me you don't want to at all?"
"I live with Rukia," he retorted, giving a nod to said woman as she entered.
"Oh. Good point. Lucky bastard."
"Very aware, thank you. Two days, Ichigo; bye-bye now," he grinned, and hung up.
"What are you two saying about me?" Rukia asked, sitting beside him, but on the desk.
"Only that you're insatiable."
"Oh. Okay." She smiled. "So we're visiting him in a couple days?"
"Evidentially, he has a return gift for you," he replied, turning visual attention back to his papers.
"Did he tell you what it was?"
"Yes."
"Will you tell me?" she asked sweetly.
"Have we met?" he asked, still not looking at her.
"Only annoying thing about you; you keep secrets too damn well."
"You don't complain when you're the one I'm keeping them for."
"Of course not." She paused, watching him write away. "Looks like you have a pretty decent dent in your work."
"It has gone rather smoothly today. Until Ichigo interrupted me."
"Oh, stop. I'm going to head home and study. See you some time tonight?"
"Likely." He looked up to give her a kiss, smiled when she gave him a little wave at the door, and she left him alone.
He could hardly believe it had been a month since he'd last seen Ichigo. He would admit it, at least to himself, that he did miss the cocky brat, so it was no secret to Rukia and probably the teen himself. The tensai sighed, going back to his work. The sooner it was done, the sooner he could train, the sooner he could go home, embrace Rukia in any way she saw fit, and go to bed.
And two days later, Ichigo was as preened as a peacock- for him, anyway. True to form, the only immediate telltale of the teen's good mood was a cocky smirk, greeting the two as they entered his bedroom- the only place in the house with any semblance of privacy.
Rukia strode right up to the orange-haired male, holding out her hand. He remained sitting at his desk, looking at her as if he had no idea what she wanted. "Give," she insisted, palm still extended.
Ichigo leaned over and gave it a kiss.
"Toushiro told me you had a present for me. Give."
"Aw, 'Shiro; you tattled?"
"I didn't tell her what it was," the tensai defended himself.
Hazel eyes rolled in humor, then reached into the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a small, square white box and handed it to her. She grinned excitably when she saw it; took it and sat on the bed, then opened it.
And let out the most high-pitched squeal Toushiro had ever heard in his life.
"I take it you like it," Ichigo said after flinching a bit himself.
"It's Chappy!" was her only reply.
"You know not all rabbits are-"
"Chappy!"
"Ichigo, let it go," the taichou advised him. "Just put the thing on her."
"I can do that myself," Rukia informed them. "So, where's Toushiro's gift?"
"I was supposed to get him one too?" Ichigo asked, seemingly genuine. "He was your gift, so I didn't-" Rukia hit him before he finished, snickering. "'Course I got 'Shiro something too."
The tensai narrowed his eyes at the small, white box.
"It won't bite you, promise."
Warily, he took it, unwrapping it carefully. After a look inside, his eyes darted back up to the teen's unsure brown orbs back to the gift. It was a white handkerchief, and far from plain; the hilt of his sword had been perfectly embroidered into the corner. "You didn't…?"
"Huh? Oh, no, that was all Yuzu. Poor thing had to go off pictures I drew," he snickered.
"Then I'll have to thank her as well."
"'As well?' You know you haven't thanked me yet, ri-" Ichigo tried corrected the tensai, but found said tensai's lips hungrily on his own. "I did good, huh?" he asked, cocky grin firmly in place when they broke for air.
"Don't let it go to your head."
"It won't, but that kiss sure did."
"Same thi-" It was Toushiro cut off this time, by Rukia, who apparently had thought much of the kiss as well.
"Ooo, midget porn," Ichigo joked.
Without breaking her contact with Toushiro, Rukia kicked the teen in the head.
"Hey!"
"You practically begged for that," she informed him.
"Hardly my fault you two are dead sexy." Toushiro knew there was a exceptionally bad pun in there, but chose to ignore it.
"Oh, does that mean he wants to watch?" Rukia practically purred.
"He would not object to that," the teen grinned.
The woman's own conniving smile widened, then turned her attention back to Toushiro, eagerly awaiting this little display. She grasped him into another kiss, holding him close underneath her. A low groan echoed in his throat, feeling her rub against his hardening length. One teal orb cracked open, he eyed Ichigo, already going for his own zipper. "I see your hand on your dick, I'm lopping it off," he warned.
Orange eyebrows lifted. "What the fuck for?"
"You'd be depriving Rukia of having fun herself, and wouldn't that just be horrific?"
"Bastard."
"Maybe. Who knows?"
"You mean you don't-"
"Hush, boys," Rukia said. "No more talking." To Ichigo she added, "You, enjoy the show." Then, to Toushiro, "You, enjoy me."
"Can do," the tensai muttered back, running his hands up her legs- and taking the sundress with him. She helped, pulling it the rest of the way off. The dress had a little extra padding around the chest area, so she hadn't worn bra. He heard Ichigo suck in a breath. "Mm, she is beautiful, isn't she, Kurosaki?"
"Fuck, you two," he could only mutter, sitting back on his hands, the bulge in his pants clearly paining him. Huh. So the idiot could take orders as well give them. Good.
Rukia, meanwhile, had been working her way through his clothes, and none too gently. 'Someone likes being watched,' he noted with amusement, and coherent thought went dead once she took him in her hot, wet mouth. The only thing his mind registered was her warm tongue and the vibrations that ran up through her throat and mouth every time she moaned.
And Ichigo's eyes. He could practically feel that smoldering gaze on him, watching him every time he bucked into the woman's touch. And far, far too soon… "Rukia, I-"
As soon as she backed off, his mind went to fuzz, but when his bleary sight returned, he saw her immediately gasp in surprise and arousal; surely already dripping wet, Ichigo's hand had deftly slipped into her underwear and pushed inside her. And there was a telltale wet spot between his legs- he still hadn't taken off his pants. Good boy, but, "Did you come already?" the taichou asked him.
"I didn't touch myself," the other male defended himself, still working inside the woman.
So… just from watching? Wow. Gotta love those teenage hormones. Ichigo was no longer having anything to do with this waiting crap, finally freeing himself of the confines of his clothes and thrusting inside Rukia.
She wasn't complaining. And, as was usual when those two were going at it, Toushiro could only watch the spectacle; senses thoroughly focused only on the woman still on all fours, the other man pounding into her from behind, gripping her hips so tightly the tips of his fingers had begun to turn white.
He knew when Rukia was close; her moans grew longer, coherent words stopped, and, were he the one inside her, she would start to tighten around him. Just the thought of it was enough to bring his arousal back while he watched the two… Ichigo… Ichigo he really hadn't watched too closely yet. Cerulean eyes observed carefully any changes in the teen, and yes, sure enough, his grip tightened even more, thrusts shorter but sharper, and a barely-gasped, "R-Rukia, I-," and after a few more sharp, but slower thrusts, slowed to a stop. "Tell me I gotcha," he breathed.
"Oh, you're a good boy," she affirmed.
"You can't tell, Kurosaki?" the tensai accused, the annoyance enough to completely bring him back down to earth.
"When I'm payin' attention. Wasn't that time."
"You should always be paying-"
"Ichigo! Rukia-chan! Toushiro-kun!" Yuzu's voice came from downstairs. "Dinner's ready!"
"Yeah, we're coming!" her brother yelled back.
"Ichigo," the taichou inquired. "Just from curiosity, what do your sisters think of this situation?"
The taller snorted, pulling his pants up. "Karin laughed, called me a slut, and laughed some more. Yuzu… she doesn't approve. That I can tell. But she said she wants me to be happy too, and as long as it stays just the three of us, she won't go into lecture mode. I made a point to tell her it wasn't just sex, that we actually do spend time together doing other things and talking and shit like that… You should've seen the look on her face when I asked her about embroidering that thing; it was cute. I think she'll be okay. Eventually. Even Dad backed me up; I heard them talking the other night."
"Good."
"Aw, were you worried about me, Toushiro?"
"Chalk it up to low blood sugar," came the retort, done dressing himself. "But Yuzu will more than handle that, I'm sure. Shall we?"
Later that night, Toushiro was listening for the familiar sounds of Ichigo and Rukia falling asleep; the woman's breathing merely evened out while her body grew heavy, while the teen, he always sucked in an extra-large breath before passing out completely.
And once satisfied, the tensai slowly and gently eased his way from their little pile to cross the short distance to Ichigo's desk. Allowing himself another look to the other two to assure himself they were still passed out, he opened the laptop.
Ichigo always left it on, it seemed, so his background greeted him, a… 'Did Rukia actually pose for that?' he wondered, eyeing the shot of the raven-haired female in her underwear, on her knees and leaning back, a very suggestive look on her face. 'And why didn't I notice this sooner?' After a shake of his head and a clear decision to find a way to question them about it later, he continued on.
The desktop, other than the picture, didn't have much to help him. On to the documents. Or… yes. Pictures. Definitely pictures.
To say there were a few folders to peruse would be an understatement. The samples the computer came with, one was 'school projects,' another 'music,' and a few others… Ah. There. Didn't even try to hide it; one clearly marked 'porn.'
Toushiro clicked on it.
And was met with a pop-up that wanted a password. Annoyance hit him first, but quickly realized what a need there would be in this house for such a thing; Ichigo wasn't just trying to piss him off directly. Probably.
He liked to think he was getting to know the orange-haired male pretty well, figuring this out should be a fairly easy task- start with the obvious.
'Rukia.' No.
'Toushiro.' No.
'pissoff.' No.
He wasn't even starting on frustration, typing those in was mostly just to be able to completely discount them, but he glared in the teen's direction anyway. 'What would- No. He wouldn't actually…' Toushiro typed in again.
Access granted. 'fuckofftoushiro.' Asshole.
The folder opened to many others once more. Apparently Ichigo had scattered interests, but that was hardly a surprise. Toushiro scrolled through them with a snicker and a smile- until he came to a folder marked 'rukia.' White eyebrows arched, he clicked on it.
The picture on the desktop certainly wasn't the only one, but apparently the teen's favorite. Rukia is a flexible woman- and now there was photographic evidence. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. As long as Ichigo wasn't careless, he supposed, it was probably all right.
Going back to the main folder and scrolling further, he found another folder of interest, this one much more disturbing, as it was bearing his own name, but completely empty. "Asshole has a blunt object coming if he thinks that's happening," he scoffed before he could stop himself. Cringing at a bit at the noise now coming from the bed, his teal orbs dared to look over.
Ichigo was awake. Lightest sleeper alive, indeed; the tensai hadn't spoken above his normal tone. "Aw, fuck," the teen drawled softly now. "How far did ya get?"
"Further than you wanted me to."
"That's a given," the taller muttered, lumbering over to the screen as well. As soon as his hazel eyes beheld it, the color drained from his face, then looked down at his lover's unimpressed face. "Well… uh, a guy can hope, right?"
"As long as he isn't delusional enough to think it will actually happen."
"That would be the actual definition of 'hoping,' yeah."
"How did you talk Rukia into this?" the tensai sighed.
"Talk her-? Talk her into-?" Ichigo gaped in disbelief. "She brought it up!"
"…I shouldn't be surprised."
"No, you really shouldn't."
He couldn't help but chuckle. "She would encourage the behavior."
"This is news to you?"
"Hardly, but it seems I found you out."
"…Yeah. Seems so." His hazel eyes looked away from the taichou; there was still something he didn't know.
"I don't like how you said that."
"Come back to bed. You gotta be up early, right?"
"Answer the question."
"You mean the one you never asked?"
"That's the one."
"Ughh," Rukia moaned. "Ichigo keeps a journal. It's a file in the document thingy. Mostly self-pity." She was sitting up now, looking at their, especially Ichigo's, surprised faces with bleary eyes. "What? Was it supposed to be a secret?"
"Apparently not," the teen mumbled. "Just thought Toushiro was the only one who'd go through my laptop."
"Explains the password."
Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Curiosity sated now?" he asked the tensai.
"Well, I was going to look at the file Rukia mentioned as well, but if I'm just going to end up kicking your ass for whatever's in it anyway, why don't I just skip to that?" he stated, and hit the other over his orange head. "Depression over a temporary state is not attractive, Ichigo."
"In case you need a translator," the woman supplied, still groggy. "He just told you self-pity isn't sexy."
"Thanks, Rukia," the teen drawled. "Really. Hadn't picked upon that."
"Glad to help. Now get your butts back here; I'm cold."
As the months passed, Toushiro became very aware of one fact: watching Ichigo was just fucking fun. He'd come down whenever he could, sometimes with Rukia, occasionally without, and those times without, well, the teen literally had an invisible friend.
That greatly enjoyed tormenting him.
It was during one such time, when Ichigo was out walking who-knew-where, that teen had his headphones on, but apparently not too loud, as suddenly, his thoughts apparently made him laugh. "Oh yeah, that'd end well for me," he was muttering in amusement. "'Hey Toushiro, wanna build a snowman?"
The tensai scoffed. He had no idea why or how Ichigo's thoughts had wandered there, but the other was correct: that would not end well for him.
"Maybe Rukia could con him…"
Now that was just mean. And not just because she could.
The 'stalking' continued, right up into the teen's room, where said teen plopped his ass on his bed, sitting back.
Toushiro noted a couple extra pillows on the bed. "Hoping for another sleepover, Kurosaki?"
Ichigo couldn't hear him, of course, but- teal eyes flicked over to the teen, suddenly looking warily around, then out and down the window. When he pulled himself back in, it was with a very confused expression. "Great, now I'm hearing things," he muttered.
"You idiot," the tensai grinned.
An orange head shot about again, but calming within seconds with a smile of his own. Almost childlike, really. "I can hear you now?" he asked in disbelief.
"It would appear so. Congratulations, Ichigo."
"But does that mean, I mean, can you…?"
"There's been a minimal amount of reiatsu building around you for some time now, you just haven't been asking."
"You never heard of volunteering information?"
"I've heard of it, I just don't practice it."
"…Good to know." Pause. "Are you stalking me or something?"
"Or something. You have the ability to be amusing."
"When you're fucking with me and there's people with little to not spirit energy around."
"That too."
"Hey, uh, I hate to be a prick, but you mind going to Urahara's so I don't have to talk to thin air?"
"Oh, don't like not knowing exactly where I am?"
"I know where you are- I just like the visual confirmation. You're pacing back and forth. Probably on purpose to make me nuts."
"You know me so well. I'm not going to Urahara's, by the way; I am so not in the mood for his shit today."
"Aw, don't want to have dinner with my crazy family again?"
"I'm surprised you want me to."
A sort of realization crossed the taller's face. As much as he tried to hide it, he was still avoiding eye contact, whereas before he had been attempting, and the cocky countenance had suddenly flown miles away. "Whatever," he tried to blow the other off. "It's not like it's a big deal or anything."
"Suddenly you very much do not want me to stay," the tensai observed. "Interesting. Perhaps Urahara's will be worth the impending headache. I'll return shortly." He smirked at the teen's hung head, rubbing his forehead. The gesture left him a little worried- he called Rukia on the way.
She answered promptly. It confused him. "You're training, aren't you?"
"Yeah, but you knew that, and I figured if you were calling, it was probably important," she replied, catching her breath along the way.
"It- I'm not sure."
"Well, talk; I'll tell you," was the good-natured reply.
"Ichigo. Does today hold some sort of significance to him?"
"Today… June-oh. Yeah. Not today. Did you invite yourself over for dinner or something?"
"He invited me, then seemed to remember a reason why he shouldn't have done so."
"Tomorrow's the anniversary of his mother's death. His family will probably be making plans tonight to visit her grave."
More confusion. "Is that something he would not want us to accompany him on?" If that was so, and wanted to spare their feelings-
"Whether he wanted us or not, I was gonna pop up and say, 'Hi.' His dad loves me."
"…Perhaps I shouldn't go back then."
"They love you too, 'Shiro. And more importantly, Ichigo does. He's probably just embarrassed because his family's insane."
"There is that."
"Just let him know in your own special way that you're there for him, and he'll calm right down."
"Like a puppy."
"Our puppy," she corrected. "I'm going to train for another hour or so and I'll be by, okay?"
"I'll warn him."
As predicted, though, the 'warning,' in Ichigo's eyes, wasn't such- it was a head's up that someone else would be witness to the evening's sanity. And wasn't taking it well.
"Will you calm down, you baby?" Toushiro scolded him, now in a gigai and sitting back on the teen's bed. "We know what your family's like in normal situations, of course when planning an occasion they would be worse."
"Planning…? Rukia told you."
"You know that woman can't keep a thing to herself. If you would truly rather us not be present-"
"No, it's not that. I love when you guys are around, even if it's on the most depressing day of the year."
"I had thought you said saving Rukia had eased your unearned guilt."
"It did. It has, like you wouldn't believe, but, you know, knowing her soul was eaten; that's just… a really big mind fuck. Dad and the girls… they think they'll see her again. Well, I guess Dad knows better, but-"
"Stop that."
"What?"
"Even in Soul Society, we don't have it all figured out. Your mother's soul... there's no sure way to say it will never be seen again. The hollow who ate her was killed; who is to say that won't, in some way, release what was energizing it."
"…You don't believe what you're saying."
"No. But I want to. Maybe I can't bring myself to believe in what I can't see or have proof of otherwise, but I would love your mother to prove me wrong. It'd be a nice change, actually."
Ichigo smiled. "…Thanks, Toushiro."
"Will you stop being a brat now?"
Hazel eyes rolled in humor. "I suppose. When's Rukia coming over?"
"From what she said, a half hour or so now."
"Give her something to come over to?" he asked suggestively.
"You are just as insatiable as she is," the tensai muttered grumpily, but didn't resist when the other leaned in to take a kiss from him. "Now that I think about it, you do owe me."
"Owe you what?"
"Your ass. Literally."
"Ichigo! Toushiro!" Yuzu called from downstairs. "Dinner's ready!"
"After we eat," the teen added with a grin, and hopped off the bed. Gritting his teeth, the other followed.
"Toushiro, why haven't we seen Hinamori-chan?" the more mild-mannered of the twins asked suddenly at the table.
"She's just very busy; she doesn't usually come to the living world much."
"Is she a taichou too?"
"Fukutaichou. A few new taichou were just assigned; she's settling in with her own."
"Oh, what happened? Were they fired?"
Wow, this girl was chatty. "No, they- Ichigo," he said, turning his attention to his lover. "What do your sisters know about that first month you disappeared?"
Unbothered, he swallowed the bite he was on, then replied, "Basics."
"In your world, that probably means only what pertained directly to Rukia."
"Yup."
Toushiro sighed.
"If-If it's a problem-" the brunette girl tried.
"You're not the problem, your brother's attention span is," he assured her, and did the two the courtesy of actually telling them what had been happening in Soul Society. A little unsure why, it was hardly a concern for them now, but they certainly had a new appreciation for their brother. And his idiocy.
By the time dinner and the story were over, Rukia had arrived, got something to eat herself at Yuzu's bidding, and as soon as she'd cleared the table, the antics began.
Toushiro was a little amused with himself- he wanted this done and over with so they could go upstairs and fuck Ichigo into next week.
Well, Hyorinmaru found it amusing. Sadist dragon.
"As always, Yuzu is on lunch," Isshin was saying. But looking over, he saw Ichigo on his cell phone, playing some game, seemingly oblivious to the going-ons of his family.
"I am paying attention," he muttered, as if on a cue to the tensai. "Just irritates me a little that he treats visiting Mom's grave like a trip to the park."
"He's just trying-"
"I know. Still pisses me off."
So Toushiro left it alone. Rukia got all caught up in the planning, getting excited and chiming in while the two males waited for it to be over. Suddenly, his phone vibrated in his pocket. A text. From Ichigo. Sitting right next to him. "Seriously?" he muttered to the other, pulling up the message.
'So hot for you two right now. Can't wait to get back upstairs.'
"…Oh."
"Thought you might get a little mad at me for saying that aloud."
"…Indeed," he flushed, putting away the device.
"Aww, not gonna reply?"
"You're a deviant."
"I know. But it's a secret, okay?"
"It's really not," he informed the other, but did keep his phone out, a little unsure what to write.
Ichigo seemed to realize that. "Whatever you're thinking, dirty or not."
Teal eyes rolled, looking back at the scene of 'planning' in front of him. The group was completely wound up, not paying them any mind. 'That's all I've been thinking about since Yuzu called us for dinner,' he wrote, but as he sent it, another text, from Momo, showed up on the small screen- and sent his message to her in reply. "I need to call Hinamori," he spoke quickly to Ichigo, and just as excused himself to the next room.
But his sister was just as understanding as she always was. "Oh, okay, I was confused; that had nothing to do with what I wrote," she laughed after he'd explained the text had been meant for the teen. It wasn't anything explicit, at least, not unless you read into it, and she likely would not.
"I didn't even see your message," he admitted. "What was it?"
"Just being polite, really; Rangiku, Hirako, and I are going out tonight- I was inviting you to come too."
"I'll pass."
"Thought so. I'll see you later, then."
"Good night, Momo."
"'Night, Shiro-chan."
Hanging up the phone, Toushiro came back into the kitchen, and found only Ichigo and Rukia present, kidding with each other, and horsing around a bit. "Get everything straightened out?" the raven-haired woman asked when she saw him.
"Mm. Thankfully, it wasn't that bad a message," he said pointedly to the taller male.
"Like I have control over when Hinamori-san texts you," Ichigo only said.
"I take it tomorrow's been figured out."
"Yup; we were just waiting on you, my liege."
"Upstairs then?"
The other two looked at each other, then back at Toushiro. "Definitely," he teen grinned, and Rukia whole-heartedly agreed.
Later that night, just as his sated brain was finally about to doze off, he realized something: the two of them would be in the exact same clothing they'd worn today. Not something either of them would normally have a huge problem with, but it seemed… inappropriate, considering where they would be going the next day. And no need to further rub into Ichigo's family that he had a boyfriend and a girlfriend. Hell, he still had some trouble with it himself sometimes. Willing his body mobile, he gently untangled himself from the other two on the bed, quietly got out of his gigai, and made for Urahara's.
Which was, for the most part, thankfully, quiet. Ururu and Kon were awake at the table. "You just show up whenever you feel like it?" the mod soul asked when he saw the tensai pass through.
"More or less," he muttered back, not pausing. The sooner this errand was over, the sooner he could go back to sleep.
But they followed. Right into his former room; now all he occupied was about a quarter of the closet. Rukia had the rest. "Whattya need more clothes for?" the taller male persisted, the girl peeking around his long legs.
"Tomorrow," was the obvious reply.
"Aw, sleepover at Ichigo's," he cooed dramatically.
"Piss off Kon; don't you have anyone else to annoy?"
"At the moment? Just you."
"Oi." Having picked out, really, the first decent outfit he saw for himself, and one of Rukia's sundresses, he again made to leave.
"Aw, gone so soon?" the mod soul started up again. "You never call, you never write…"
"There's a reason for that," he retorted, and was gone from the building.
As he came upon Ichigo's house again, he found the teen sitting up, looking out his window. "Ah," he said when he saw the shorter male. "Wondered what had you up- thought it was a Hollow or something."
"Just clothes. Wearing what we already have seemed… inappropriate. And it sounds as if we may be leaving early- I don't have to tell you how well Rukia moves before noon."
"That you do not," the teen chuckled.
"Why are you up?"
"I was thinking it was quiet night, but like a few times now, I realized I wouldn't know. Saw you gone, figured I was wrong…"
"…I don't know if this will help, but it is."
"A little. It's nice knowing my first instinct was right, anyway."
"You have always been good with those."
"Aw, thanks, Shiro-chan."
"Don't call me that."
"Why not? You love it."
Toushiro only rolled his eyes. "I'm not having this argument. Go back to sleep."
"Make me."
"Bite me."
"Mark the spot."
"Pervert."
"Yeah, just don't tell anyone."
"Oh, so you can continue to act like a blushing virgin in public?"
Ichigo grinned, sitting back in amusement. "You mean the same way you do?"
"I do not."
"You so do."
"Go to sleep, Ichigo."
"As long as you're aware I'm right."
"Good night, Ichigo."
There was still snickering, but he ceased bickering, and finally found sleep again.
It was bright the next morning. Toushiro could hardly believe how far he'd buried himself under the blankets (and his bedmates) when he woke. Before anyone else, of course. He checked the time. Seven-fourteen. Epic. Really.
At least there was time to get at least some of the work done. They weren't leaving till ten, and Matsumoto certainly wasn't going to get it done.
After popping his pill, he immediately grabbed 'his' collar before the frantic soul took off. "You stay here," he ordered him, and the other promptly sat. It continued to be the weirdest of weirds looking down at yourself. "Stay here and don't let those two push you around when they wake."
But even as the other astutely nodded, the tensai had a pretty good idea what he'd be returning to.
At the door to his office, however, he paused. Not only was Matsumoto in the room for once, but Hinamori as well. Why was she-?
His thoughts were interrupted by a giggle, followed by… a soft cry. Toushiro's head thudded against the wall.
"Ran-chan, did you hear that?" he heard the brunette gasp.
'It's just the sound of your brother's brain breaking into a million little pieces,' he sighed mentally, but immediately remembering how understanding his sibling had been about his own personal life, amended aloud as he opened the door, " Someone dropped some-oh." And immediately shut the door again, still out in the hall.
"Don't like what you see, Taichou?" the blonde's taunting tone came.
"Put your clothes back on!" he yelled back without thinking. He was more than good on seeing his little sister and fukutaichou naked, especially together, but his office was hardly the only one on the floor. And the walls weren't exactly soundproof. At the same time, however, he really, really didn't have the spare attention to worry about rumors.
"Safe now, Taichou!" Matsumoto's cheery tone came again after a few moments, and he dared open the door again.
"Sorry, Shiro-chan," Momo muttered with a flush, now sitting beside the other woman , both now fully clothed, a bright flush on her face. "Ran-chan swore it would be okay."
"Selling me out so quickly?" the blonde countered.
"Well, you did! You said Shiro-chan spent the night in the living world, so he wouldn't be in for a few hours yet!"
"I said I was pretty sure!"
"Stop!" Toushiro sighed. "No more office sex. At least, not in this office. Do what you like in your own," he continued to Momo.
"You aren't… upset?" his sibling asked, peeking over the sofa to him, now at the desk.
"Upset? That would make me quite the hypocrite, wouldn't it? Or at the very least, a massive asshole. You barely flinched, for you, when I told you about Ichigo. I should be able to do the same for you."
Her face bore a small smirk. "Does that mean you were flinching outside?"
"…Minimally."
She laughed.
And he was right.
When he landed in the teen's window almost two hours and forty-five minutes later, he found both his lovers with his cornered gigai, who was completely freaking out. They'd even tied the poor thing up with a handkerchief, another stuffed in his mouth to gag him. "I don't know who I should murder first."
"Aw, just jump in your gigai," Ichigo joked. "Go on; I dare ya."
"You can hear him?" Rukia asked, taken off track. "See too?"
"Nah, just hear; figured it out the other day."
She was beaming, no doubt happy the energy for his powers was returning. "Good."
During the exchange, Toushiro had walked up to the distressed soul in his gigai, swiping the makeshift gag. "I told you not to let them push you around."
"A-And-And-And-And to st-stay t-there," was the reply, a nod to the spot on the floor he'd been left in.
"You could have done both," the tensai drawled.
"We're not all geniuses," Rukia sighed, and untied the captive- only then did Toushiro switch places with him.
"Everyone set to go?" he asked.
"Just about," Ichigo said. "Mostly waiting on you."
"I'm ten minutes early."
"It was be there at ten, not leave at ten."
Oh. "…You could have called."
Rukia pointed at his phone, still sitting on Ichigo's desk with two others.
Oh. "Or gotten me."
"By the time we would've gotten back, it would have been this time already," she brushed him off. "And this way, I got me dressed, thank you bringing my bunny pendant, and got you dressed." Oh, look at that. "Believe it or not, that was the reason we had to tie him up- he wouldn't change on his own."
"Whatever," he muttered irritably. "Let's just go."
Morbid though it probably sounded, Toushiro had always (as far as he could remember) liked graveyards. How many places could one go where the populace was required to be quiet and respectful?
Usually.
It seemed Isshin had missed the memo. He usually did.
Toushiro avoided the group for the most part, walking the paths lined with the same-shaped stones, different names each time. He was left alone for a good while, but eventually Ichigo and Rukia came after him.
"Hey, Toushiro!" the orange-head called as the two approached. "I'm not allowed to be mopey, but you are?"
"I'm not being mopey," he defended himself. "I'm being observant."
"He's curious about the people," Rukia provided with a knowing smile, hooking her arm around the tensai's. "He reads the names and makes up stories in his head."
"I rue the day I told you that," Toushiro grumbled with a flush.
"Aw, it's sweet, 'Shiro," Ichigo grinned. "It's almost like you have a hobby."
"You're-" he stopped short, the familiar ring of a Hollow in his ears. He and Rukia exchanged a look.
"Hollow?" the teen asked. "What? Surprised I know the look you two get when one appears and you don't want me to know?"
"A little," the shorter admitted. "I'll be back momentarily," he said, and popped his pill for the second time that day- he did not want to deal with Rukia's.
It was kind of nice to have a simple 'you're-a-Hollow-you're-getting-purified-now' encounter without any mishaps, and when he returned, found Ichigo had rejoined his family, Rukia and the quivering version of himself a few feet off. The woman appeared to be talking to him, trying to calm him down, the tensai realized, once in hearing range.
"Problem?" he asked.
"Oh, no," she assured him. "Poor guy just wasn't sure if he was 'supposed to' sit and eat with us. I was telling him it would have been fine."
"I would have," he agreed. "As long as he didn't make a scene."
"Okay! I'll remember!" the soul replied with a salute.
"Ugh, stop that."
The hand snapped back down. "Yes! Sorry!"
With another sigh, Toushiro switched with him again. "Sometimes I wonder what you fill his head with," Rukia muttered.
"When he does good, I tell him; when he fucks up, I tell him. However, the first isn't all that often."
"Oi."
"Think what you like. The system works."
"What system?" Ichigo asked as the shinigami joined them.
"Never you mind."
"Ugh, you're using him as a basis?" Rukia asked. "Please."
"Now I really don't want to know."
"Did you at least get all your work done so we can spend the night again?"
"Does Ukitake-taichou not notice you missing all the time?" the tensai retorted.
"He knows I'm training."
"When you're not making at least one of us nuts and/or slacking off."
"Hey, I've gotten a lot stronger, I'll have you know! You should come when we're getting tested; then you could see for yourself."
"Oh, yes, that wouldn't been seen as favoritism at all," he drawled to snickering.
"How is that favoritism?!" she shot back. "You're just supporting me."
"My luck there'd be some freak wind storm that would help you and be blamed on me."
Rukia was about to snort a retort of her own, but Yuzu spoke up, asking in amazement, "Shinigmai can control the weather too?"
"Not all shinigami," the raven-haired woman told her. "Just a few show-offs."
"Or the rest of you just don't train hard enough," Toushiro shot right back.
"Oh, you're adorable."
"Thank you."
Rolling her violet eyes, she turned back to the brunette girl, "Toushiro's zanpakuto is the strongest ice/water type. At least, the strongest I've ever seen. It's to the point that, yes, he can control the weather if he wants to. Or gets really angry."
"Yeah, remember that freak snow and hail storm beginning of last summer?" Ichigo asked. "He was trying not to kill me."
"Oh, I was trying to kill you," Toushiro corrected. "Tessai just wouldn't let me."
"Wow, remind me to stay on your good side," Karin said.
"But… you must be glad you didn't," Yuzu spoke softly.
And Toushiro remembered where he was and who he was talking with. "Once the seething hatred cleared… yes," he admitted. She looked relieved. "At this point, I'm very glad your brother's still alive."
Even Ichigo seemed touched by the sentiment.
"But we're gotten massively off-topic," he added quickly, turning to Rukia. "We were discussing your procrastination."
"Just because you don't see me train doesn't mean I don't train," she informed him. "Just like I know you don't listen to gossip all morning when you're- oh, but you heard something this morning, didn't you?!" she realized at his paling look.
"You will do just about anything to avoid talking about your training-"
"Come on, tell me! What is it?"
"Hinamori and Matsumoto are…. Seeing each other," he barely managed to mumble. Both Rukia and Ichigo stared back at him a moment, then collapsed in laughter.
And if one looked closely, and Toushiro always did, even Isshin had a smirk. Asshole. Of course he'd known Matsumoto if he'd been a previous Division Ten taichou; apparently, had also at least heard of Momo.
"Who is…?" Yuzu was asking.
"His sister and fukutaichou!" her brother gasped, collecting himself, even wiping a tear from his eye. Asshole.
"You're… you're sure?" Rukia managed.
"…Believe me, they are," the tensai affirmed.
"Aw, you walked in on 'em, didn't you?" the orange head snickered.
"Don't laugh, Ichi-nii," Karin scolded him after a hit. "That's a very traumatic experience."
The teen paused only a moment before deciding, "I'll give you a traumatic experience," and tackling his sister; but she bested him rather quickly, ending up straddling across his back and pulling one of his arms to her at an awkward angle.
"You already gave us both one, Ichi-nii; my turn," she grinned.
"Oh, tell me you let her win," Toushiro said.
"Sure," the teen managed. "Let's go with that."
"Ichigo, you are an embarrassment." But even as he spoke, he saw a twitch in the other's eyes, probably went unnoticed by most everyone else, but clear to his own careful gaze. 'Wrong words,' he realized. 'I hit some button I didn't know existed.' Ichigo had moved on for the moment, busy being muscled into submission by his sister.
He still really hoped the teen was letting her win.
And when they arrived back at the Kurosaki household, Toushiro found what he'd said was eating at him so much he brought it up as soon as the three were alone in the familiar bedroom once more- as casually as possible, of course.
Ichigo chuckled. "It wasn't that you were verbally abusing me, I'm more than used to that, it was just… your choice of words, I guess." Then those orange brows furrowed a bit as he realized, "Aw, Shiro-chan, were you apologizing?"
He received only a flushed face a low growl in reply.
"That's so cute."
Louder growl.
"Now you're just turning me on."
Toushiro had a comment on the tip of his tongue about how 'very' hard that was to accomplish, but decided to take a different course of action; one he'd bet any amount of money would be far more pleasing to both the people that sat with him.
Catching the teen's smirk completely off-guard, he pounced the taller, punching a fist into each of his shoulders and straddling him across his middle.
"Wow, desperate for a subject change much?" Ichigo snickered.
"Since when do I need an excuse to put you in your place?" the shorter countered, a grin of his own now plastered to his face.
"All right!" Rukia said gleefully. "Here we go again!"
"I still owe you too, don't I?" the teen grinned.
"Yes, we keep getting sidetracked, don't we?" Toushiro agreed. Last time, Rukia had called the shots, and demanded both men take her rather than each other. While that was more than fine… "I think it's about time I collected."
"Collected what?" the woman asked.
"He literally owes me his ass."
A bright grin spread like wild fire in a dry forest. "Oh, really?"
"Really," he replied, sharing her glee.
"If you're trying to scare me, it's not working," Ichigo informed them, looking a bit nervous despite his words.
"Just informing," the tensai shrugged nonchalantly- until Rukia decided she wanted to play too. She climbed up on the teen as well, right behind Toushiro, hoisting his body back up and molding her body flush against his own.
"Oh, fuck yes," Ichigo said, tone low and appreciative.
"What, exactly, are you doing back there?" the taichou questioned her.
"Now, now; don't you worry about me," was the coy reply, her hands reaching around him, gently reaching under his shirt, fingernails barely scratching the skin underneath. Faux skin though it was, it still had the desired effect. Toushiro hissed in pleasure, Ichigo offering up his hands to steady him. 'Every time now,' he cussed to himself, feeling Rukia's hand around his throbbing member. His head shot down, feeling a added wetness- a hot, welcoming wetness. Ichigo had sat himself up on his elbows, the tensai's hands going to the taller's shoulders, and apparently had the flexibility to add his mouth to Rukia's ministrations. Probably unintentional, but as the teen moved, he could feel the other's hard, warm length against himself, adding further to the simulation coursing through him. 'Fuck, this isn't going to last long.'
And sure enough, only moments after he finished the thought, Ichigo was swallowing the proof of his orgasm. "Fuck," the orange head grinned after. "The only thing that would have made that better is if I was in Rukia for it."
"That could be arranged," the woman told him gleefully.
"Five minutes you two, seriously," Toushiro gasped.
"Well, then, I'm just gonna scoot you up," Rukia said, giving him a slight push further up Ichigo's midsection. "And just have my way with Ichigo. See how playful you're feeling after that."
"Sounds good to me," the teen piped up once more.
"Of course it sounds good to you," Toushiro drawled, leaning forward as the other male lay back.
"Come in a little closer, Shiro-chan," he said cheekily, but then frowned, perhaps seeing how stiff Rukia went as well as the tensai's own unimpressed expression.
Toushiro did do as asked, but cupped a hand over the other's mouth. "Never, ever call me that in this situation," he informed the teen. "That nickname started with my sister, so when I hear it, I think of her. As much as I care for her, I do not particularly want her on the forefront of my mind right now."
"Fair enough," Ichigo agreed when his mouth was released.
"Good."
"Back to playtime?"
Toushiro snickered. "Back to playtime."
A/N: So I said to myself, "Self, who could I pair Momo with that would give Toushiro the biggest headache?" The answer was pretty clear.
Also, I went back and changed chapters five and six; now that was actually know about Isshin and Masaki, I figured it should flex it a little so it would fit.