~.X.~ ~.X.~ ~.X.~ (Uryuu's POV)

He had expected something, just not... this. Seeing Ichigo reaching into his pocket, he cringed and tried to sink into the couch he'd been deposited on, but he wasn't ready for the massive confusion when Ichigo put something around his neck and instantly collapsed on the floor. He surely wasn't ready for the intense flash of blue and white that came from behind him, or the sudden shattering of the window behind him.

He yelped, his hands flying to his head even as he felt shards of glass raining down on him, his entire body trembling. Something wasn't adding up, and his mind was either too sluggish to register what was going on, or things were happening too quickly. Maybe both. Was this another trick? Was he hallucinating again, or was he dying? About to die? Why couldn't he just die and be done with it...?

A noise came from in front of him, moments before he heard slow footsteps getting closer to him, but his body wouldn't move. As much as his muscles were tensed and trembling, it seemed like his body had almost given up on him. His palms felt clammy over his ears, and the footsteps on the hard wood floor rang out around him, a countdown to more pain. The thought was dizzying, and the moment a hand came down roughly on his shoulder, whatever paralysis had come over him was broken with a shrill scream and a sudden burst of movement. His arms flew out against his assailant even as he kicked off the couch, trying to move him away from the grasp that caught his arms, pulling them forcefully to his sides.

Through another scream, his breath caught fearfully as he kicked out blindly, refusing to open his eyes to the sea of orange before him, feeling one of his feet connect with something, and hearing a satisfyingly pained grunt from his attacker. That didn't cause him to let up the pressure on his arms, and instead, Uryuu felt himself lifted off the couch despite his kicking, only to be swung around and sat back down sideways, one someone's... lap?

His body twitched, as if still ready to bolt, but receiving mixed messages of how to do so. He felt one of the hands holding him down come away, only to come up to his head and hold it closer to their chest. Like... a hug. Slowly, Uryuu's eyes opened, still terrified it would be Ichigo he would see, and doing so would break whatever spell had come over him, but still... he chanced a glance upward, only to find white.

White was safe. This wasn't Ichigo. Unsure why, but unable to help it, Uryuu's eyes flooded with tears in that instant, his entire body going slack in Ryuuken's arms. He knew better. Ryuuken wouldn't hurt him, but he wouldn't save him, either. This was just going to end badly, and it was better that he left now. But despite his thoughts to the contrary, his body wouldn't obey his commands anymore, nor would his tears, which were already running freely down his cheeks and onto Ryuuken's shirt. Despite knowing what he was doing was a weakness in front of the man he could never call father, he couldn't help it.

Safe. It was something he desperately wanted to feel, and he guessed this was about as close as he was going to get.

~.X.~ ~.X.~ ~.X.~ (Ryuuken's POV)

"Go home."

The words echoed in his mind as he turned the key in the lock.

"If you want to find your son, go home."

The same colleague that had first advised him had managed to find out that Uryuu had fled from the hospital, and had managed to corner him during some paperwork that could have been done in the morning. He still wasn't sure if he despised him or thanked him for what advice had been given either time, but he was still sticking his nose where he didn't belong. That alone was enough to bring a scowl to his face, despite the other doctor's words.

"Someone in that state will eventually find their way back to wherever they feel safest. So go home and wait for him."

Safe... had he ever actually made this house a place for Uryuu to be safe in? Had Uryuu ever acted like this place was safe to him? Distracted by his thoughts, Ryuuken shoved his keys in his pocket and kicked the door closed, not even bothering to turn any lights on, despite the darkness around him. It was better for thought, and Uryuu might turn around and run if he saw lights on, anyway. This was not turning out to be a simple endeavor. In fact, the surprising emotional roller coaster ride he had been forced to take over the past few weeks was more than enough emotion for his entire life, and yet... something about this entire situation brought to light thoughts and feelings he would have rather kept in the dark.

Stepping into the living room, he glanced around, noting that nothing was out of place. Uryuu wasn't here; yet. And why should he be? He wasn't safe. He wasn't home. He wasn't even a father. Why would Uryuu come back, after all their past history together? All the threats, the arguments, and most of all, the absences? He had never tried to be there for Uryuu before, and as odd and hard as it was to get around for himself, he was obviously doing a wonderful job right about now.

Actually, he felt extremely stupid standing in a dark living room, waiting for someone he had never been able to call his son to come to a house he had never called a home. Running a frustrated hand through his hair, he sighed loudly, trying to fill the silence with anything but his rogue thoughts. Already he felt stupid and pitiful and disorganized; he didn't need any other emotions along with them. Shaking his head to hopefully rid his mind of its current train of thought, he turned toward the kitchen, reaching for the light switch when his ears picked up the sound of rustling just outside the door. His eyebrows rose despite himself, and his lips parted in silent awe that Uryuu had actually come back to him.

That awe was quickly melted into fuming anger at the spiritual pressure of a Shinigami breaking and entering into his house. The only thing that stilled him from action was the sight of Uryuu being carried bridal style by the orange haired bastard, around to the living room couch. He heard the almost inaudible sound of Uryuu's whimper before he was sat on the couch, and the boy crouched in front of him. From where he stood, he could barely make out Uryuu's face, eyes screwed shut and eyebrows knitted in terror.

Lapse of memory his arse; the Shinigami knew exactly what he was doing, and was planning on doing it again in his goddamned house. He had the bow materialized and the arrow drawn before his brain caught up with his body. The only thing that held his shot back was the position; if he shot the Shinigami right now, the arrow would pierce through him and hit Uryuu as well. So he had nothing more to do than grit his teeth and subdue his spiritual energy to keep his presence unknown, watching as Uryuu flinched backward into the couch from what was probably something the boy said to him.

It felt like forever until his chance came, and the boy stood. It took a few seconds to gather the rest of his energy in the arrow, since it needed to end the Shinigami's life in one strike. Probably too merciful of a killing, but with Uryuu sitting right there, it was the best he could think of. Just as his energy hit its peak, he watched the boy pull something from his pocket and motion to put it on as his fingers loosed the arrow. No more Shinigami.

He wasn't counting on the boy to fall flat on his face, or for the arrow to pass overhead and through the window, shattering it loudly, shards flying inward and outward from the force of the blast. He heard Uryuu's startled yelp, watched the boy's hands fly onto his head to cover it too little too late, and instantly he regretted his decision. Because he had scared Uryuu was part of it, but the main reason being because the Shinigami wasn't dead yet. Or was he? With soft, cautious steps, he moved into the living room, letting his bow vanish from his hand. The boy wasn't moving. In fact, seeing him closer now, it hardly looked like he was even breathing. Ryuuken gave the boy's side a sharp kick just in case, but when he didn't move, he was placed at the back of his mind for now.

When he glanced up at Uryuu, he still had his head cradled in his hands, his knees brought up to his chest in a fetal position, his entire body shaking and trembling. Safe... he hadn't come back here because he felt safe. He came back because he was forced to come back. Ryuuken's brows knitted together even as he started toward the boy. Maybe home wasn't safe, but there had to be something he could do. Just letting him sit there in terror, or run around broken and bloody in the night...

Wait. There had been angles they couldn't fix. Ways Uryuu had sat or laid to alleviate pain that he wasn't doing now. He seemed... better. Healed, even. Almost startled at the fact, Ryuuken's hand came down on Uryuu's shoulder, and he was about to crouch in front of him when Uryuu's faux calm was broken. Screams assaulted his ears just as painfully as the arms and legs that assaulted his torso. Frustratedly, he grasped for the flailing arms, unable to move out of the way of a rogue foot that caught him in the stomach, pushing the air from his lungs for a second. It hurt, a lot more than it would have if Uryuu hadn't been healed. Someone had a hand in this besides him, but for now, he couldn't find it in himself to complain.

Struggling lightly with Uryuu, he managed to lift him off the couch so he could sit down, and placed the boy sideways on his lap, like his own father used to sit him down when they talked. When there had been something troubling him. Or even when there had been a nightmare. So Ryuuken held Uryuu the same way, almost regretting this was the first time he had ever done so, especially when Uryuu stilled suddenly. It was enough to let Ryuuken move his hand from holding onto Uryuu's arm to holding onto his head, gently pushing him further into his chest.

Despite having never done this before, the position felt almost natural, despite the strangeness of the thought and action. A father comforting a son... something he never thought he would do, or even want to do. Something that felt more than right at this moment. Uryuu's entire body slackened against his, and he only took that as his cue to wrap his arms around him a little tighter.

Through it all, he had prided himself on his level mind and his non-existent weaknesses. On his rationality and his calculated way of thinking. He had never been emotional, never vulnerable, never weak. But somehow, sitting with Uryuu in his lap and feeling the tears starting to soak through his shoulder where the boy's head lay...

For the first time in years, Ryuuken buried his head in Uryuu's hair, unable to hold back a few of his own tears.

A/N: Sorry this is a little short. I hit a bit of a writer's block, but I still managed to pound out a little bit of fluff, which is usually not my norm. Next chapter will focus on Rukia, Chad, and Orihime finding Ichigo's body, as well as the long waited for Ichigo vs. Shiro everyone's been dying to see. Thank you to all of my lovely reviewers out there; you really do give me the will to get past my writers block. Even when I'm not writing on the story, just seeing a new review pop up makes me smile, and makes my day. Thank you.