I don't own Bleach. I cry.

Chapter 3

It didn't take long for Toshiro to find Ichigo in Soul Society; he was already in the Seireitei, standing before the soutaichou. The elder looked down on him, glancing at Toshiro at the shinigami entered.

"Ah, Hitsugaya, I was just discussing with Kurosaki where he should be placed in the Gotei. What are your thoughts on this matter?"

Toshiro didn't miss a beat. "My squad."

Yamamoto smiled beneath his long white beard. "I thought you might say that. Well, your squad is missing a 3rd seat, is it not? Certainly Kurosaki is powerful enough for that rank, having already achieved bankai."

"Yes, sir!"

"Well enough. Go with your captain, Kurosaki, he will get you settled in."

Ichigo couldn't help but grin. "Yes, sir!" With that he turned to follow Toshiro as the tiny captain left the room. He jogged to catch up, and then spoke with a grin. "Why so tense, Toshiro?"

Icy teal eyes shot to meet brown ones. "That's Hitsugaya-taichou to you!"

"But Toshiro, you haven't made me call you that for almost a year!" Ichigo drawled, bending closer to Toshiro's level.

"That may be so, Kurosaki, but right now I am doing my best not to kill you where you stand."

Ichigo swallowed as the temperature dropped rather sharply, his breath suddenly visible. "But what did I do?"

Toshiro growled, his fists clenching. "Kurosaki…"

"I don't get it, Toshiro. I can't fix it if I don't know what's wrong!"

Then Toshiro did something he rarely did. As a shinigami, Toshiro tended to rely on his zanpaktou as well as kidou rather than his fists. As a result, he never really hit anyone, unless it was a bash across the head.

However, as these words left Ichigo's mouth, something in the tiny captain snapped. He whirled, punching Ichigo in the jaw hard enough to send him to the ground, sliding back several feet.

"You DIED!" he yelled, radiating fury. "That's what you did! You died! You weren't supposed to!"

Ichigo pushed himself to his feet, rubbing at his jaw. "It's not like I'm gone, Toshiro, why are you so worked up?"

Toshiro growled, his hands tearing at his hair. "That's why! You don't understand why this upsets me! Do you think it's easy for me to be so open with you? I've never been this close to anyone and now that I am what do you think I'm most afraid of?.! Losing you! Just because I knew that you would be fine does not mean I could just look at you lying there DEAD!"

As he ran out of steam Toshiro panted, his hands fisted at his sides, the air around him freezing.

Ichigo blinked, and then sighed, ignoring the cold air and stepping forward to wrap his arms around Toshiro's trembling frame. He buried his face in the soft white hair, breathing in the winter scent.

"I'm so sorry, yuki hime. I should have paid more attention, been more sensitive. Can you forgive me for being such a fool?"

There was a muffled snort from his chest area, and then Toshiro turned his head, his ear on Ichigo's chest. "Grudgingly so. I never can stay mad at you for long, no matter how hard I try."

Ichigo kissed the top of his head, wincing as his jaw ached. "You've got a good right hook, yuki hime. I'm lucky you held back, you could have broken my jaw."

Toshiro looked around, and then, satisfied that no one was watching, he stretched up to kiss the forming bruise. "Sorry."

Ichigo chuckled, "Don't be. I deserved it." He stepped away, smiling slightly. "Now, I believe I'm to follow you to my new quarters, taichou?"

Toshiro smiled. "Follow me, 3rd seat Kurosaki Ichigo of squad 10."

Ichigo awoke to chilly air and cool flesh pressed to his own, he sighed, stretching and settling back into a comfortable position.

His brown eyes scanned the lavish room he was in, and he smiled as he remembered the night before…

"Hey, aren't these your rooms, yuki hime?'

Toshiro nodded as he opened the door to his bedroom, a small smile on his face. "Of course. You will be staying here, Kurosaki."

"But…"

Toshiro cut him off by shaking his head. "We both know that you would have ended up here some way or another anyway, so you might as well just start here. It would cause us both less trouble."

Ichigo laughed, and then hugged the small captain. "I suppose you're right. But won't the others talk?"

The smaller snorted faintly. "They already talk quite enough, what's a little more?" With that he pulled Ichigo down for a kiss, locked away in the safety of his personal rooms.

Ichigo cuddled Toshiro closer, pressing his nose into the brilliant white hair and breathing deep. He loved Toshiro's scent; he couldn't get enough of it!

The small captain shifted against him, breathing deep before settling again. Ichigo smiled faintly, his hands stroking over the boy's back and down his spine, provoking a shiver.

He lay quietly for some time, contemplating what Toshiro had told him nearly two weeks ago. The fact that he could be a father, and that Toshiro was willing to carry his children; it was all a major shock, and yet a thrill.

He was so excited he could hardly stand to wait.

He shifted his hands, moving to rest his palms against Toshiro's flat little stomach. The thought of slender little Shiro heavy with child, his tiny tummy swelling and rounding with his children, it was a wonderful thing.

He wondered absently if his yuki hime had ever gone to see Unohana-taichou like he had said he would. Toshiro had never mentioned it, at least, not after the fact.

Perhaps he could ask Matsumoto, she might know…

At that moment he felt hands cover his own and then teal eyes were directed in his direction. "Ichigo?"

He shivered as Toshiro used his name, and then smiled. "I'm fine, yuki hime. Just thinking, that's all."

The small captain laced their fingers together, drawing Ichigo's hand up to kiss at each of the fingers. Ichigo smiled, scooting closer and fitting their bodies together, settling his chin on Toshiro's shoulder.

Toshiro purred softly, curling into the cup of Ichigo's long muscular body, his lips playing along the tanned fingers in his grasp. Ichigo turned his head, trailing butterfly kisses over the smaller's slender throat.

It was moments like these that Ichigo lived for, times when Toshiro dropped his barriers; shed his mask of wisdom and age. He allowed Ichigo to smother him in love, to cuddle him and hold him. He showed love, he accepted romance. Ichigo lived, breathed, for these moments.

After a few more kisses Ichigo couldn't help but yawn, his sleepless time catching up with him. Toshiro rolled over, shifting so that Ichigo's head was held to his chest. He ran his fingers through the bright orange hair, humming softly.

"Sleep, Ichigo…"

Ichigo wrapped his arms around the small waist, pressing his cheek against Toshiro's chest. He sighed contently, closing his eyes. "I love you, my yuki hime."

There was a pause, and then Ichigo's heart soared as he heard those rare words fall from Toshiro's beautiful lips.

"I love you, too."

Ichigo was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of footsteps nearby, and he looked up into the sky blue eyes of Matsumoto Rangiku.

"Kurosaki-kun!" she said with a wide smile. "It's good to see you, though I had hoped it would be under better circumstances."

Ichigo smiled, watching as she settled beside him with a small smile on her face. "Yea, me too, Rangiku-san. I guess it's not that bad, though, I get to be with you guys all the time now."

A mischievous smirk worked its way onto Matsumoto's face. "You mean you get to be with taichou all the time now."

Ichigo couldn't help but grin. "Well…"

He didn't get a chance to go any farther, at that moment Toshiro jogged up to them, a faint pink coloring his cheeks. "Kurosaki!"

Ichigo smiled up at his small lover, though he was slightly worried by the look on Toshiro's face. "Hey, Toshiro, what's up?"

The small captain didn't answer his initial question; he grabbed Ichigo's hand with a side look to Matsumoto. "Excuse us, Matsumoto; I need to talk with Kurosaki."

The buxom woman grinned. "Of course, taichou."

Ichigo followed, or was dragged, to Toshiro's rooms, where the tiny captain pushed him into their bedroom and closed the door.

"Where's the fire, Toshiro, what's going on?" Ichigo asked as Toshiro moved back to his side, sitting beside him in the cool room.

He got a funny look for the expression that he was sure Toshiro didn't recognize, but it was waved off a moment later.

"Do you remember how I went to see Unohana-taichou about a month ago?" Toshiro demanded, his eyes shining faintly.

Ichigo nodded. "Yea, and you tackled me that night in the real world."

That produced a blush, but Toshiro nodded. "Well, it worked."

Ichigo blinked, and then realization dawned. "You mean…?"

Toshiro nodded. "I'm pregnant."

Hope I didn't make Toshiro too OC there. I figured that he would overreact a little to something like that, especially since he's finally let himself get close to someone seeing them die like that would hurt quite a bit.