My apologies for how long this took. Life has been hectic and getting even more so. But no worries, I refuse to let it take up all of my writing time :D

Enjoy!

The night was dark around them, the streets blessedly void of pedestrians and traffic. The only light to illuminate the small suburban corner of the city at this time of night was the yellowed light of street lamps. All was quiet as the peaceful little neighborhood slept on, but not all it's civilians were calm.

Ichigo threw his car in park at the same time he turned the key in the ignition and shut the engine off. He couldn't care less about the quiet grind of gears as the vehicle protested the rough handling, nor that he probably should be a little easier on the poor thing. Throwing his door open, he climbed out and rushed from the vehicle, slamming the driver's door shut as he jerked open the door to the back seat, the familiar, cloying scent of blood rushing out to greet him.

"Shiro, hey...wake up..." Ichigo gently shook his lover where the man sat slumped in the back seat of his car, blood soaked through the side and front of his once white shirt and dripping to the waist band of his jeans. The hand he had been keeping pressed against the wound to help stem the blood flow had gone slack, falling into his lap bloodied palm up. He was pale, but then he was always pale so it was hard to tell just how much blood he had actually lost.

He hadn't fallen asleep on the rushed drive home, but was rather on the verge of passing out and that wasn't a good sign, nor a good idea at this point. Head lolling toward Ichigo as his slightly panicked voice caught Shiro's attention, Ichigo continued talking to him, making it a challenge of sorts and trying to hold his focus. "We're home but if you don't want to end up in the ER, you better wake your ass up."

"Tch..." Shiro's golden irises rolled in a half attempt at showing his contempt for the idea and a half attempt at pulling himself from the haze of sluggish consciousness, fighting through the dark that wanted to invite him down. "No hospitals, Aibou."

"Then don't you dare pass out on me." Ichigo repeated, helping the man out of his car. His head was beginning to throb, the adrenaline from the fight wearing off enough for his body to start feeling the strain from it, but Ichigo's focus was on making sure the albino he had fallen in love with a year ago wouldn't keel over on him before he could be worried about himself.

They managed to make it to the front door without their nosy old lady of a neighbor spying on them and Ichigo quickly threw the door open and ushered them inside before anyone could happen by and see the albino and himself covered in blood. He led Shiro to the couch but the pale man frowned at him.

"I ain't ganna sit there and bleed all over the furniture, Ichi. Don' wanna hear ya complain 'bout it later." He allowed himself to be lowered to the furniture anyway though, putting up hardly any real protest.

Ichigo snorted a short laugh, unnaturally happy to hear the man still retained his sense of humor and that his distorted words weren't slurred any more than usual. "It's fine just this once. Besides, I'm getting pretty good at cleaning blood out of, well, everything."

"Hey, I ain't tha' messy anymore." Shiro pouted, sinking into the cushions with a sigh, his one hand pressed against the stab wound in his side again. The slash was clean but deep, made by the perfectly sharpened and cared for, curved blade of a fillet knife meant for shearing meat away from bone. It had done just that, too.

He hissed a breath as he pulled his hand away and tried to twist around to get a better look at it. "Tha's ganna leave a mark." He mumbled.

"Yeah. You're going to be covered in them for a while." Ichigo smiled as he tilted the albino's face up toward the ceiling light he had flipped on when they entered, getting a good look at his eyes as well as the dark, purpling bruise from the solid hit he'd taken to his face. His strange and beautiful eyes were tired, but clear and more focused than they had been in the car. It didn't seem he had a concussion or any head injuries so Ichigo released his chin, rubbing his thumb over a pale, bloodied bottom lip.

Golden eyes widened and Shiro quickly, almost urgently grabbed hold of Ichigo's hands like something had just dawned on him. "I know he got ahold a ya... Are ya ok? Did he hurt ya?"

Ichigo smirked. "No, I'm alright. Going to be some ugly bruising in the morning but he didn't have his knife. I'll be fine." Ichigo reassured the man.

Shiro leaned forward, a strained and painful groan catching in his throat with the motion. He wrapped his pale arms around his lover's waist, settling his head against Ichigo's chest and ignoring that he smeared his blood across his lover's front.

Ichigo wrapped his arms around the man's shoulders in return, one hand gently running over long, feathery hair. He liked this side of Shiro, loved it really; the more gentle side that no one but him got to see. He had earned the right to see Shiro's soft side, he'd unlocked it, so to say. The task had been surprisingly easy once he'd figured out how the albino's mind worked. It had been like they had had a connection from the very beginning, but perhaps that's what killing a man together did for a couple.

"I should a got 'im before he could hurt ya... I'm sorry, Ichi... I'm ganna kill him fer touchin' ya... I promise."

A small smile gracing his boyish features, the orange haired killer untangled himself from his lover's arms and tilted the albino's head back again, stooping slightly to capture blood reddened lips against his own.

••••••

Ichigo furrowed his brows and dropped his hand over top of his alarm, silencing the annoying little device from hell before it could completely destroy the early, predawn quiet. He glanced at the clock before immediately bolting upright and spinning around in bed. He couldn't believe he had actually fallen asleep, let alone for as long as he had. He'd nearly slept through the whole night when he was supposed to be monitoring how Shiro was doing after doing his best to treat the albino's wounds.

Relief flooded his system as the pale blue sheets covering his lover's toned and bruised abdomen rose and fell in gentle, steady motions. The colorless man was spread out on the king sized bed they shared, his head tilted toward Ichigo, soft lips parted in his sleep and his long, angelic hair fanned out across the pillow.

Rubbing at his eyes, Ichigo yawned and climbed from the bed. Creeping around to the other side of the bed, he bent low over Shiro's prone form to brush some of his long hair out of his face and settle his palm against the sleeping man's forehead. All seemed well and Shiro didn't stir from his no doubt exhausted and much needed sleep.

Ichigo turned about and tip toed out of the room, not bothering to get dressed. He made his way to where his phone was setting on the counter top, the same place he'd thrown it after ushering Shiro inside the night before. He opened it and squinted as the screen came to life, bright in the deep shadows of early morning. Tapping the screen a couple times, Ichigo brought up the number to the shop and quickly connected the call.

He didn't have to wait long before a bright, cheery voice greeted him from the other end. The orange haired man nearly groaned at his employer's too happy tone at this time of the morning. It was still a couple hours before he would normally be getting up to get ready for work and the shop wasn't even open yet.

"Hey, Urahara. It's Ichigo." The orange haired man said back, not even attempting to hide the tiredness or slight irritation in his voice. Even though Shiro seemed to be doing well enough, his worry was palpable and his boss quickly sobered up.

"Ichigo, is everything alright?" The man asked on the other end, the quiet sounds of machinery buzzing to life in the background.

"Yeah." Ichigo said, walking over to plop down on the couch as he spoke. "Well, no. I don't know yet... I can't make it to work today..."

"Oh dear." Urahara mumbled. Ichigo rarely missed a day of work. "Are you sick?"

"No...Shiro hurt himself..." Ichigo hesitated to tell the man the truth, but he also knew his boss was a bit more perceptive than he let on and would likely know if he was lying. So telling partial truths seemed like his best choice.

"Shiro... Your lover?" Urahara asked, his voice contemplative for a moment before he placed the name. It wasn't often that the albino visited the shop, even while Ichigo was at work, but it had happened a few times so he wasn't completely unknown of by some of the staff.

Ichigo's face colored with the lightest shade of red at his boss' unashamed question. "Uhh, yeah, my boyfriend..."

"My my, is he ok?"

"He should be alright, but I can't really leave him at home alone... He's going to be really sore and need some help for a few days..." Ichigo closed his eyes, his head tilted back against the back of the couch as he spoke and took a deep breath through his nose.

"Sure, sure." Urahara said, sounding as though he understood. "Take whatever time you need and send him my best wishes."

"Thank you, Urahara. I'll let you know as soon as I can when I'll be back..." Ichigo told the man, bidding him a good day before he hung up and tossed his phone on the cushion next to him.

Heaving a deep sigh that wanted to escape as a stifled yawn, Ichigo was just standing from the couch, preparing to head back to the bedroom and some more much needed sleep for himself when a loud thud sounded from that direction. He jumped to his feet and took off down the hall, worry gnawing at his gut.

He rounded the door frame at a sprint to find Shiro doubled over by the bedside, one arm holding himself almost upright against the mattress while his other wrapped around his torso. His teeth were bared and his pale visage twisted into a pained sneer.

Ichigo slowed his pace but not by much and rushed to the albino's side, wrapping his arm around the man's waist, his hand pressed over Shiro's where it settled on the bandaged stab wound as he bent to be at Shiro's level. "Jesus, Shiro, are you ok?"

The pale man sucked his teeth, features still pinched as he forced himself to take even breaths. "Hurts worse the second day..." He grit out in a rough, distorted voice. "Ganna need some painkillers this time 'round."

"What were you doing? You shouldn't be trying to get up on your own, you'll rip your wound open again..." Ichigo chastised worriedly. Anything he was about to say next died in his throat as Shiro's lilting voice reached him.

"Woke up and didn' know where ya were..." The albino explained in an almost pouty voice, allowing Ichigo to help him back into bed. "I jus' wan'ed ta make sure everythin' was alright."

A soft smile spread across pink lips as Ichigo pulled the sheet back over his lover's boxer clad lower half, settling it lightly on his banged up torso. Sitting on the edge of the bed beside the other man, he ran his fingers through the soft locks gracing the pillow once more. How could he possibly even consider reprimanding the man when he pouted like that? "I'm fine. I was just calling off before the cafe opened."

"Yer stayin' home wit' me?" Shiro's lilting voice instantly brightened, sounding hopeful and happy. It brought another smile to Ichigo's face.

"I am, love." Ichigo gently ran the pad of his thumb over the dark, angry purple mark that marred Shiro's normally porcelain features. That was the downside to his angelic complexion; when he bruised, it showed.

"'S 'at mean I get a special treat?" Shiro asked, a slightly lewd grin curling onto his lips. He winced at Ichigo's gentle touch, the large bruise from the heavy hit he'd taken tender even under the light fingers of his lover but he didn't pull away.

Ichigo smirked down at him, shifting so that he was on Shiro's other side where he normally slept at, careful not to jar the mattress around too much or bump into his injured lover. "Perhaps later, when it's daylight and after we see how you're feeling."

A tired grin slanted one side of the albino's lips. Shiro gingerly rolled onto his side so that he faced the more colorful man, his motions slow and deliberate and careful as he tried not to pull at the vicious knife wound running along his ribs. When he finally managed to settle into a mostly comfortable position, he blew out a deep breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

The orange haired man chuckled lightly, a fond expression on his features as he scooted closer, wrapping his arms carefully around Shiro and snuggling against his bare chest and neck. They quickly fell back asleep, intertwined and happy to be close to one another.

When next they awoke, the sun was high above and streaming through the parted curtains of their room, casting bright rays of light across the floor and bed. Shiro yawned as he scrubbed a hand down his pale face, wincing as he brushed over the bruised side of his face. He slowly, gingerly sat up and threw his legs over the edge of the bed so that his bare feet rested on the plush carpet.

"What're you doing?" Ichigo asked groggily from where he lay beneath the sheets behind where Shiro sat.

"Gettin' up. I's gettin' late." The albino answered, sitting up straighter and trying to twist around to peek at his bandaged side where Ichigo had patched him up the night before. It wasn't like they really had anything to do that day. Ichigo had called off to watch over him and he wasn't in any shape to be out and about, but he still didn't want to spend his entire day in bed. Unless perhaps Ichigo spent it with him.

The bed creaked quietly as Ichigo shifted upon the mattress, bringing himself closer to where Shiro sat. Warm hands feathered down the albino's spine, dancing and caressing across smooth, sleep warmed skin to settle near the edge of the gauze and tape Ichigo had covered the stab wound with. He peeled a corner up, letting Shiro see his handy work while he kissed the back of the man's colorless neck.

"We need to be more careful from now on..." Ichigo murmured, his lips brushing soft, sensitive skin. "You got lucky when you caught him off guard...this could have been a lot worse..."

The thought to check on his wound forgotten, Shiro's breath caught as Ichigo whispered against his pale flesh and warm hands wrapped around him to gently map his toned torso. When he spoke, his normally higher voice was low and husky. "Yeah, maybe, Aibou. But I'd gladly take another knife b'fore I let 'im hurt ya..."

Ichigo groaned quietly at his protective words, at the promise laced in his tone. The orange haired man carefully edged around the still seated Shiro and climbed off the bed, standing between Shiro's parted knees. The albino didn't bother keeping his hands to himself and his chipped, black nails scratched lightly as he dragged his fingers down the tawny, flawless skin of Ichigo's abdomen.

"I get my treat now?" The pale killer asked, a smirk tugging at his lips as he leaned forward, his navy tongue peeking between his porcelain lips to mark a hot, slick trail between the planes of his lover's abs. One of his hands dropped from Ichigo's lower back, gliding along the back of his leg before slipping further up again and under the pair of loose shorts he had worn to bed where his hand cupped his prize.

Ichigo combed his fingers through pale hair, looking down to watch Shiro continue tasting the smooth skin above his navel. The man's haunting eyes were closed, a slight flush to his usually colorless features, though it was hardly noticeable, especially with the dark discoloration of his jaw and cheek. "I don't know if that would be good for your wounds, love..."

"The' be gentle on me, my King..." Shiro dropped his voice to a deeper, throaty and heated tone. He smirked against the skin he sampled, knowing that one little word would get him what he wanted. If Shiro said 'king', Ichigo prepared to conquer.

The change in Ichigo's demeanor was immediate. His fingers tightened in Shiro's hair, no longer brushing through the silken strands but tugging almost harshly. That one little pet name was all it ever took to drag Ichigo's more dominant side out and prove to him that Shiro was willing to take what he had to offer.

"You keep that up and I don't know if gentle will be possible." Ichigo rumbled, one hand yanking backward, still anchored in Shiro's hair. With his other hand, he helped guide the injured man down to the mattress.

Shiro smirked and let himself be pushed back to the bed, his legs still dangling over the edge and his feet still planted on the floor. His boxers were already tented and as Ichigo leaned over him, kissing and nipping at his pale, bared throat, the orange haired man was careful to grind against him, drawing a moaning gasp from the albino.

Trailing hot, open mouthed kisses down his lover's finely toned torso, Ichigo pulled Shiro's boxers off, dropping them to the carpet to be forgotten. He laved his tongue over the bruising that peeked from under the white gauze near the man's most grievous wound, enjoying the way the muscle of Shiro's abdomen tensed under the attention and the pale man's breathing picked up.

Sitting on the floor between Shiro's legs, Ichigo grinned as he made his way to the base of his lover's hard member. He pushed the man's legs further apart while he ran his hands up the insides, letting his tongue slowly work it's way up the man's cock to the tip.

The sound of a cap being opened was drowned out by Shiro's moaning voice as Ichigo wrapped his lips around the head of his cock, slowly sucking his way down and swirling his tongue along the bottom. Pale hands fisted in the sheets, the albino's inverted eyes hooded and dark in his quickly growing arousal and pleasure.

A quiet gasp fell from his parted lips as a slick, cool finger circled around his entrance, a place Ichigo didn't go often. The breathy sound divulged into a low moan as Ichigo waisted little time in sinking his finger deep. He bobbed up and down over Shiro's cock, his molten, coffee brown gaze trained on the albino's pleasure twisted features. Gold on black eyes were squeezed shut at the odd intrusion but the sounds issuing from the normally dominate man's throat proved he enjoyed Ichigo's actions.

Thrusting his finger a couple more times to be sure he wouldn't hurt his lover, Ichigo added a second, pulling away from the white cock in his mouth. Shiro's back arched off the mattress at the added girth and he bit down on his bottom lip to attempt stemming the flow of less than aggressive sounds that wanted to flow from his mouth. Teeth sank into the soft flesh of his inner thigh, ending his attempts and his lilting voice rose to fill the room.

Ichigo groaned against Shiro's soft skin and added a third finger, his free hand snaking down between his own legs. Unable to help himself, he quickly yanked his shorts off and slowly stroked his own till then neglected erection as he pumped his fingers in and out, in and out, Shiro's voice providing a lovely, distorted music to their actions.

The orange haired man released himself, reached further down to grab the discarded bottle of lube. He quickly slicked himself up, shivering at the chill over his aching member and pulled his fingers from Shiro's entrance.

The albino furrowed his brow at the loss of contact but it only lasted a moment. In the next instant, he was clawing at the sheets he lay on, muscled body tense and his legs wrapped around Ichigo's waist as the more colorful killer entered him, seating his heated and throbbing cock deep. He attempted to sit up straighter, one black nailed hand reached toward Ichigo's tanned chest but sharp pain flashed through his side and he collapsed back to the mattress as Ichigo began thrusting.

A look of worry crossed Ichigo's pleasure flushed features and he leaned forward, wrapping one arm under the injured man's arched, lower back while he laced his fingers with those of one of Shiro's hands. Bringing the man's hand above his head, he pinned the albino to the mattress and buried his face in the side of a pale neck. "You ok, love?"

"Fff-fine...just don' stop..." Shiro moaned out, the arm of his non-pinned side wrapping around Ichigo's back, his nails latching into tan skin to hold Ichigo close while the more colorful man thrust into him.

The bed creaked in cadence with their motions, adding a groaning chorus to their voices; one lilting and distorted, the other low and moaning. After the adrenaline filled and exerting fight with the city's only other serial killer the previous night, it didn't take long before the two were panting and reaching their climax.

"K-king..." Shiro moaned out, his head thrown back and his white teeth bared toward the ceiling. "So close...please touch me..."

Ichigo growled at the pet name, every bit of his natural aggression surging to the forefront as he thrust almost frantically into his lover. He couldn't deny the wanton tone of Shiro's request and he pulled his arm out from under the man in favor of grasping hold of the man's saluting cock where it had been pinned between them.

The albino's distorted cry faltered as warm fingers wrapped his member, quickly matching the pace Ichigo set with his own cock. His voice seemed caught in his throat and his warning died as his body jerked, a deep moan vibrating in his chest as sticky strands of his seed spurted between them.

Heated walls pulsed around Ichigo's erection, hugging him tight and making his own pleasured sounds hitch. His swift pace faltered, becoming uneven before he was voicing his own release and seating himself deep within his lover. Shiro clung to him while Ichigo rode out his orgasm, pale, flushed face pressed against the crook of his neck and panting breaths fanning across his chest.

They remained intertwined for a few moments, breathing deep the scent of each other before Ichigo slowly pulled back, slipping free of his lover. Still hovering over the man, he locked the albino in a deep, passionate kiss before standing and hunting down their clothing.

Still spread out on the mattress, his arms thrown wide, Shiro winced as the euphoria from their release began ebbing, letting the ache from the beating he'd take slowly creep back up on him. "This is really not ganna feel good 'n 'bout two minutes..." He mumbled, heaving a sigh.

A wide grin spread across Ichigo's handsome features as he chuckled at the man, snagging Shiro's previously discarded boxers from the floor. After some slightly awkward jockeying around, the orange haired man managed to help Shiro into the loose fitting clothing and had him standing from the bed.

Together they slowly made their way out to the sitting room where Ichigo instructed his lover to sit down and stay put. Shiro stuck his oddly colored tongue out at the man but gingerly plopped down on the couch and sighed in relief as he leaned back against the rest. The more colorful man rolled his eyes playfully and disappeared, returning a minute later with a couple of gel capsules and a bowl of cereal.

Shiro snorted a laugh but gratefully accepted both, downing the pills in one go before he began eating. Ichigo quickly joined him with his own bowl and flipped on the news. They sat in comfortable, companionable silence for a while, idly watching as the weather forecast predicted rain, to which Shiro sneered and chanced a look out the window. The sun still shone overhead in a blue sky and he rolled his inverted eyes back to the screen, missing the amused smirk that slanted Ichigo's lips.

Simple but delightful breakfast almost finished, Ichigo finally spoke up, breaking the silence. "What are we going to do about...about Grimmjow... He knows who we are and what we do now..."

"Yeah...and the knife ta the gut won' be 'nough ta take 'im down." Shiro curled his lip at the very thought. If the pitiful wound he had managed to inflict was enough to take the Hollow killer down then the man wasn't deserving of his title, nor the title as their challenger.

"No. I don't think it will either..." Ichigo's orange brows furrowed as he looked over at his lover. "What if he talks? What if he tells someone?"

"Tch. He ain't ganna talk." Shiro reassured, carefully leaning forward to place his empty bowl on the low coffee table sitting in front of the couch. He leaned back again, attempting to make himself comfortable while he waited for the painkillers to kick in.

"He's a killer too. An' he eats people..." An ashen brow rose as an odd expression flitted over the albino's startling features. "I bet he's got more victims tha' jus' the one since he showed up here. He ain't ganna say nothin'. He'd be stupid ta."

"Hmm... You're probably right." Ichigo nodded, his thoughts awhirl with possibilities and various scenarios, none of which seemed too great. It seemed they may have been at a disadvantage. While there was two of them and only one Hollow, the blue haired man still knew more about them than they did of him. He knew where Ichigo worked, what his name was, probably what car he drove. And if he knew that, he could easily find where they lived, Shiro's identity and a whole slew of other unfortunate and seemingly mundane information. "But he's too dangerous to leave loose on the streets...he knows too much... What do we do now?"

A wide, telling grin spread across snowy features as a slightly unhinged gleam lit Shiro's golden orbs and made them dance with a chaotic fire. What to do, indeed. But the prospect of the possible challenge that lay ahead of them was far too good to pass up. It wasn't everyday that they ran into another fellow of like mind, someone that had taken another's life and hadn't cracked under the guilt normal society weighed upon their shoulders or left too much evidence behind and ended up behind bars. The hollow killer, this Grimmjow, could turn out to be exactly the kind of push they needed to bring their little game to the next level.

Shiro's manic grin widened even further as he looked at his lover and partner. "We wait."

since this is posted on 07/15, Happy Birthday, Ichigo! Birthday sex seems like a good enough gift, yeah~?