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Ok...call me crazy, but this fic is seriously all I wanna do still... T-T So, shall I continue~?

Chapter 9

Shiro sat on the futon looking around the small room he was put in. Three days...he thought to himself. After what had happened at Ichigo's, Orihime had insisted that Shiro stay with her for a few days.

"Shiro? Can I come in?" He turned his head and sighed.

"Y-yes..." He watched as she slowly walked in with a pair of scissors in her hands. He felt a bit nervous and backed up a bit. "Uhh..."

"I want to cut your hair up a bit. It's a bit long and it must be hard to clean." She explained. "It won't hurt, I promise ok?" Shiro nodded and crawled to the edge of the futon as Orihime crawled up behind him. She took a brush and slowly began to smooth his hair out. "Look...about the other day...I still-"

"It...w-wasn't...y-y-our f...fa-u..lt..." He said quietly, closing his eyes as the feeling relaxed him some. "It was...m-mine."

"How can you still say that? It was not your fault, ok?" She insisted. "If I hadn't listened to Ichigo, you wouldn't have been hurt like that..." She took the scissors and measured out a small length of the snowy white hair. "How short?"

"S...shoulder..." He said and sighed. "I...I didn-'t want...y..you all t-to...s..ee me..." He took a breath and let it out. "...in...p-pain..."

"You keeping silent had nothing to do with this...you know that." She said as she slowly cut his hair, watching it fall on the futon, some on the floor. But...can I blame Ichigo too? I...I'm confused...

"I...I c-can't...bl-lame...Ichigo...or y-y-you." Shiro shook his head when Orihime removed her hands from his hair.

"Turn so I can get your bangs please." She muttered. He looke dinto her grey eyes with his lavander eyes and smiled. "Shirosaki..."

"I...I d-don't bl...lame anyone..." He said quietly as she cut his bangs. Once she was done, she brushed them from his face and smiled.

"All done." He grinned and hugged her. "Shiro...I-"

"N...othing...s-say n...n-oth-ing..." "I...I don't bl-ame any-one..." He backed away and ran a hand through his shortened hair. "Th..thank y-you Orih...ime."

"Your welcome." She watched as he looke dout the window and slippe don his shoes. "Where you going Shiro?"

"I...I have...s-some fri-ends to m...m-eet." He smiled and walked out of the room. Orihime shook her head and smiled.

"You're so selfless..." She whispered. "But...is it that or ignorance?"

Ugh...I know I fucked up back there... Ichigo thought as he laid on his bed, Rukia still scolding him.

"You're such an insensitive asshole!"

I know...

"Couldn't you see he was in pain? !"

Yes..I did...

"You should've just stopped Orihime yourself, you stupid-

"'-jackass'. Rukia, you've said the same thing to me for the past few days...lay off will you?" Ichigo sighed. "I understand...even I'm upset ok? I...I just..."

"Go and apologize then! Geeze, men are so dense I swear!" Rukia sighed. "It won't do you any justice. Besides..." She then gave him a puzzled look. "What made you want to stop his pain anyways?"

"...The look in his eyes..." Ichigo muttered as he stood up. "I've still thought of him as a Hollow...yet he was scared...so frightened..." Ichigo shook his head. "I couldn't stand it after that."

"Well...go tell him so." Ichigo rolled his eyes and stood to walk away. "Oh, and more thing..."

"If you want me to go apologize, for god's sakes shut u-"

"No, just lemme ask. Geeze, tightass..." She sighed. "When you ran off...you were gone all night. what had you been doing?"

"Thinking."

"About what?" At this, Ichigo just smiled and opened the door.

"None of your fucking buisness. See ya later." With that, he left the infuriated Rukia behind.

I still don't know if he'll want to talk to me... Ichigo thought as he lazily walked down the street. Although he knew Shiro would never admit it, he had been terrified of Ichigo afterwords. When Orihime suggested that Shiro go to her apartment, he had agreed, thinking that maybe it'd help them both calm down and maybe, Shiro's new fear of him would die down. Guess I'd better try though...

He nearly froze as he came up to the park. Sitting under a tree, was his Hollow. He sat there, one arm resting across his knee, looking up at the grey sky above him. His hair was a bit shorter now, yet looked more like Ichigo's hair when he had left the Dangai after training. He wore tight black jeans and a small grey hoodie. He walked over and, without a word, sat next to Shiro. "Hey there..." He said after a moment.

"H-hi..."

"Look...about the other day...I'm really sorry." He sighed, not looking at Shiro. "What I did was heartless and cruel. I',m not normally like that at all...so..." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, then covered his face with his hands. "I fucked up big time back there, ok?" He felt a pale hand tug gently on his shoulder.

"L..l-ook at m-m-me Ichigo..." Shiro said. Ichigo looked up to see a smile on the albino's face and determination in his eyes. "Af...fter what ha...happened...I-I-I w...w-as afr...afraid." He sighed and shook his head. "B...b-ut if I h-had s-s-sai...id I was h...hurt-ing soo...ner...it woul-dn't ha...ve happ...en-ed."

No...I still would have ignored you, I think...Ichigo thought to himself. "But you begged me to have her stop...I ignored you."

"We...a-ll m-make mis...m-mis..."

"Mistakes?" Shiro looked at him and blinked once. "Yeah...I guess so...but still I-" He was surprised when a pale finger was pressed gently to his lips.

"F...forgive...f-forget..." Shiro scruched his eyes closed, as if determined to speak clearly. "Forgive...and...forget..."

"Forgive and forget?" Shiro nodded and Ichigo shook his head. "It's not that simple Shirosaki."

"It is...f-for m-me..."

Because you have no memories of before... Ichigo thought, slightly bitterly. Then again...maybe it's for the best. I guess I can...give him the fresh start he needs. "Alright then...I'll try." Shiro smiled and reached out to touch Ichigo's cheek. Just like before... Ichigo reached out and held the cool hand close to his face.

"...Warmth..." He muttered. Ichigo then reached out and placed his hand on Shiro's cheek. His skin felt cool to the touch, yet it was a relaxing feeling, like a cool shower on a hot day.

"Relaxing." Ichigo smiled and was a bit surprised at the softness of his own voice. He placed his forehead against Shiro's and smirked at the shocked lavander eyes. "Hey...I have a better name for you now."

"Huh?"

"Just 'Shirosaki' isn't much of a name. So...I was thinking...Hichigo Shirosaki. Sound good?" Shiro's lavander eyes beamed and he hugged Ichigo tightly. Much to his own surprise, he found himself returning the embrace.

"Th...thank you...Ichigo!" Shiro said happily.

"Mister Shiro!" Both boys looked up to see two little kids running towards them.

"Miko...Ami..." Shiro smiled.

"Friends of yours?" Ichigo asked and noted how Shiro's smile widened. He must like them...

"You gonna play with us again, Mister Shiro?" Miko asked as they stood in front of them.

"S...s-ure!" ami turned her head and pointed at Ichigo.

"He your big brother?" She asked. Shiro turned and smiled.

"So-omething l...l-ike th-at..." He said. Ichigo chuckled and watched as the two kids tugged Shiro to his feet. Just as Shiro was about to walk away, he turned back and walked to Ichigo, hodling his pale hand out. "You...w-wanna pl-ay t...too?" He asked quietly, as if expecting a negative answer. Ichigo smiled and took the offered hand, allowing the albino to pull him to his feet.

"Yeah, why not?" As they played with the two kids, Ichigo couldn't help but acknowledge the odd feeling in his chest. Seriously, why are my feelings so out of whack?

Chapter 9 end

Wee~! One sitting and I think it went well~! So like I said, these cute kids will keep coming around for awhile. We may have another time-skip before some more angst comes our way~! These two kids are important, like I said, so just watch and wait~! Until then...review~!