Restart

Summary: Ichigo is tiered of the death and misery that comes with his unwanted job. Shiro is the light of escape when the world becomes too much. HichiIchi. Rating may rise.

Disclaimer: Bleach doesn't belong to me.

Warning: Yaoi inside. If it's not your cup of tea then why did you click on it?

A/N:Wow, I actually got in another chapter before I left… wow. It's short but oh well.

Thanks to my Awesome Beta, TealEyedBeing! Go and read her stuff 'cause it's awesome. And she even updates regularly, unlike me… *weeps* I'm sorry that you don't get your updates frequently, but frankly, this is something that I do when I've got time, and right now, I don't have time.

Italics is thinking

x`x`x`x`

Ichigo opened his eyes. Everything was blurry, his muscles felt like jelly, shaky from disuse. His mouth was dry and he could feel needles pricking into his skin, pumping artificial nutrients through his body. He almost turned around and ran back to Shiro right then. He had forgotten just how miserable this world could be.

'Shhhh, King. I'm 'ere. Ya need t' stay there, remember? Ya should have a semblance of a normal life.'

'Normal means no shinigami, right?' Ichigo asked timidly. Shiro growled back at him.

'They come near ya an' I'll rip their arms off!'The hollow's voice grew gentler. 'Ya are mine an' I am yours, m' King. I won' let those bastards near ya again.' Ichigo relaxed.

'Yours.' He whispered mentally.

'Mine.' Shiro replied. A nurse burst into the room, ruining the moment. Seeing that Ichigo's eyes were open, she shrieked in joy and ran to fetch a doctor. From that moment on, things passed in a blur of action. Doctors came and went. Endless questions were asked. Ichigo's family burst in as well, about an hour after Ichigo woke up.

"Oh thank god!" Yuzu cried, reaching out to hug him. Ichigo stiffened and pushed her away roughly. Only Shiro could touch him like that. Even his sister hugging him felt…wrong now. The hug was too hot, too shaky. He looked at Yuzu blankly, unable to understand why she looked so hurt. He belonged to Hichigo Shirosaki, she should have known that. She should have never tried to touch him.

"Ichigo, it's me Yuzu, why can't I hug you?" The girl was on the edge of tears now. Ichigo didn't deign the stupid question with a reply, retreating back into his head instead, listening to Shiro's soothing voice.

'Yer so good King. Ya were right t' push her away. Only I can touch ya now.' Ichigo could practically feel the cold fingers trailing up and down his sides and chest.

'Yes, yes. Yours!' Ichigo felt the invisible arms tighten around him and smiled.

x`x`x`x`x`

"So what's wrong? He's awake now isn't he? He should be fine!" Renji insisted. He had come over with Orihime and Ishida to check in Ichigo. The redhead had been released from the hospital yesterday and the three had come to congratulate him. Well, Orihime and Ishida had come to congratulate him. Renji was supposed to be asking him when he would be ready to go back to work.

"He's been….weird…since he woke up. He won't let anyone touch him. Not even the doctors. He eats, and reads to catch up on school, but he hardly ever talks. He likes to eat. He eats everything slowly, like he's savoring it. And he always thanks me for cooking, he never did that before. Sometimes, I find him staring out into space. When he gets like that… It's like he can't hear us. Like he's off in his own little world. He only reacts when we touch him. Dad's starting to think about sending him to a psychologist." Ishida's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"It's that bad? You don't think that his…condition will improve with time?" Yuzu looked like she would burst into tears any moment.

"He's just gotten worse! Here, he's always in his room. You can see if you can get him to talk with you." Yuzu left the trio at Ichigo's door, running down the hallway to get back to her beloved kitchen. The three looked at each other cautiously before Orihime squared her shoulders, pushing out her abnormally large breasts and opening the door.

"Ichigo?" She called. Ishida walked in behind her, scanning the room cautiously. His eyes landed on Ichigo and he shivered. The boy was sitting on his bed, staring out the window. His eyes were open. He blinked occasionally and his breathing was normal. But he didn't react to Orihime's call. The substitute shinigami just sat there, with a creepy smile on his face, like he knew something they didn't and it amused him. The old Ichigo would have stood up; yelled at Renji maybe, brushing off their worries. Yuzu's words echoed in Ishida's mind. 'When he gets like that… It's like he can't hear us. Like he's off in his own little world…'

Renji, spooked by the silence, walked forward and grabbed Ichigo by the shoulder.

"Don't ignore us man!" Ichigo stopped ignoring him all right, but when the skinny boy, made slighter by his stay in the hospital, grabbed Renji's hand and threw the tattooed man across the room, the shinigami thought fuzzily that maybe ignoring was better.

"Don't touch me." Ichigo's voice was ice, with a hint of arctic wind. "No one is allowed to touch me." Ishida and Orihime took an involuntary step backwards. This was not the Ichigo they knew. Timidly, Orihime stepped forward.

"I-Ichigo-kun. We came to see if you were alright after being in the hospital."

"So why didn't you come while I was in the hospital, eh? I spent four months there. The only time you ever came was to identify Rukia, you only visited me as an afterthought. After all, the invincible Ichigo is never hurt badly enough for it to matter. He doesn't need anyone to care about him." The boy's voice was mocking and sharp. He aimed to cut, and his words carved shame into the trio's foreheads. All of a sudden, his face changed. A caring, gentle smile over took his features and he trailed his fingers over his book. The red head acted as if they had suddenly disappeared from the room "Yes, yes I know you love me." The insane change was enough to drive the timid Orihime from the room, sobbing with fright. Ishida followed, not wanting to remain in the room with the crazy boy any longer. Renji stayed, but the effort of putting on a fake smile made his muscles bunch.

"Ichigo, what's wrong with you? You'll never be able to come back to work if you keep acting like this." Ichigo's attention abruptly snapped back to the tattooed vice captain.

"Oh you don't have to worry about that my friend. I won't ever be coming back to work again." He giggled insanely at the expression on Renji's face. "Yes, go on, go and tell you captain. I'll be just fine here with Shiro." Renji made one last, brave attempt to figure out what was going on.

"Who's Shiro?" Ichigo smiled gently.

"The voice inside my head. Now go on, go report to Byakuya how crazy I am now. I don't even want to be here you know. But Shiro says that this is good for me, that I shouldn't put such a strain on my family by staying in the hospital. He say's I have to get used to this world again because if I spend too much time with him now my body will die." Ichigo sighed regretfully. "Stupid, weak thing. I suppose I'll be acting "normally" in time to start school again next Monday though." He looked up sharply. "Why are you still here? I told you to go away." Renji ran from the room, shaking. That wasn't Ichigo.

x`x`x`x`x`