Say My Name

By: Yami Rasui

AN: And the conclusion of my Within Temptation series. I never actually though I would finish it. Amazing what can happen when you have a five day weekend and you get to relax. I have other projects I'm fiddling with, not sure what will come of them. Please don't kill me for the way I've ended this series.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, neither Bleach or Say My Name by Within Temptation.


Say my name

So I will know you're back

You're here again

For a while

Oh let us share

The memories that only we can share together

Tell me about the days before I was born

How we were as children

Toshirou followed the chaotic stream of spiritual residue that was left behind from Ichigo's trail. There was denying it now even if he wanted to. His lover was back and was running around in his Vizard form. This had happened early on in their relationship when Toshirou had pissed him off, sending Ichigo into a spiral of not only anger but also violence at times. But he always went to the same place, always went to the one place that he'd never felt pressured to do what was required as a member of the 13 court guard squads and a seated officer. Toshirou just hoped that his lover hadn't changed too much. He could remember the first time that Ichigo had summoned the mask during an argument. It had been a heated one, revolving around a recent trip to the mortal world for Toshirou. He'd been hunting a hollow down when he was badly injured and taken back to the seireitei for emergency treatment. He'd tried to blow off the injuries to Ichigo but it had pissed the strawberry off to the point where he and his hollow half had agreed on something. Watching the mask slowly take over his lover's face had been intriguing, the anger flashing in those eyes had given them a deadly aspect to the glare he was pinned with before Ichigo had left Squad 4 and disappeared for three days.

You touch my hand as colours come alive

In your heart and in your mind

I cross the borders of time

Leaving today behind to be

With you again

Ichigo flashed stepped through the forest heading towards the training grounds where he had learned Bankai. Yoruici had long ago told him that sometimes he would need a place to get away and that the training grounds were his to use as he chose. And use them he did. When things got to be too much for him he would run and hide there. He remembered the first fight he'd had with Toshirou, he'd told Kenpachi he was going away for a while to train and the Captain hadn't bothered him about it. He'd consequently spent a week there wondering about if Toshirou would even notice that he was gone. After a week of hiding and training he decided that he should rejoin reality, upon leaving the training grounds he'd found Toshirou standing there with his arms crossed, demanding to know why he hadn't been home. After that he'd told Toshirou where he'd been and they had made a deal. Ichigo could have his time to blow off steam, but after three days Toshirou had the right to come and try to work things out.

We breathe the air

Do you remember how you used to touch my hair

You're not aware

Your hands keep still

You just don't know that I am here

It hurts too much

I pray now that soon you're released to where you belong

Ichigo made his way into the training grounds and immediately decimated one of the rocky outcroppings with Getsuga Tenshou. He was getting ready to continue throwing around attacks when a familiar spiritual pressure showed up right behind him. He spun around, his sword ready, and stared at Toshirou with glinting gold eyes. "Oh well if isn't Captain Hitsugaya, come to scream at me more that I'm not who I say I am?" Ichigo asked, his voice taking on the high raspy quality that it did when he was working with his Hollow half. Toshirou sighed, knowing that it wouldn't be easy to get through to Ichigo when he was in this state. He started by sheathing Hyorinmaru and propping it up against a rock before turning his full attention to Ichigo. "I did not come here to fight, I came to talk with you," he said. Ichigo studied him for a moment before nodding. He sealed his bankai and settled on a rock, propping up Zangetsu next to him. "I'm listening," he said.

You touch my hand as colours come alive

In your heart and in your mind

I cross the borders of time

Leaving today behind to be

With you again

Toshirou nodded in acknowledgement and wondered where to start at first but he decided it best to start at the beginning. "The last time we spoke before I lost you, I wasn't exactly pleasent. Okay I admit that I was downright cruel. You promised to come back but I wasn't expecting that I'd lose you like I did. I never wanted you to die, if I could have Made a Deal with God to swap places I would have. I'm sorry I was so harsh in what I said," Toshirou said. It was harder to get this out than he expected but he swallowed against the lump in his throat and kept going. "I spent the next few years on our anniversaries looking at our photo albums, remembering the good times and and trying to keep the Memories of our time together alive that I stopped living. I knew that Somewhere you were alive in the real world and then I met Yuki, seeing him was hard." Toshirou whispered. Toshirou felt is courage to continue drying up but a nod from Ichigo got him going again.

Please say my name

Remember who I am

You will find me in the world of yesterday

You drift away again

Too far from where I am

When you asked me who I am

"Then you showed back up, and it was like you had never left. But it hurt, all of the sudden there you were saying See Who I Am, I'm back and I'm gonna stick around this time. And then I hurt you again, screaming that there was no way you could be back. The following weeks were Bittersweet as I knew you were back but I couldn't approach you, I'd hurt you and I had to find a way to fix the damage first. And then just now, in Our Solemn Hour, you were there to protect me again like you used to on the battlefield." Toshirou said. He moved towards Ichigo and gently touched the mask, wishing he could actually touch Ichigo's face. Ichigo wrapped an arm gently around Toshirou's waist and pulled him closer. "Say it, Say My Name," he ordered.

Say my name

As colours come alive

In your heart and in your mind

I cross the borders of time

Leaving today behind to be

With you again

Toshirou swallowed and let the few tears that had gathered fall down his face. "You're Ichigo Kurosaki, you're my Ichigo. And I was a fool not to see it before." Toshirou said. The mask slowly disappeared and Toshirou stared into the warm brown eyes that stared up at him. "Took you long enough Toshirou," Ichigo whispered before pulling him into a searing kiss and hold his love tight against him.

Say my name


AN: And that's a wrap. Like I said don't kill! And whoever can figure out what I've hidden in the last few paragraphs of the story gets a cookie!