They had been talking for hours. So long, in fact, that Uryuu had gotten hungry and invited Kurosaki to a late-night meal in the kitchen. The lukewarm broth of their instant ramen bowls sat unfinished and forgotten on the counter Uryuu was leaning beside. His arms were crossed against the chill a fresh cup of hot tea couldn't quite dispel but he barely noticed it, engrossed as he was in their conversation.

"A vampire, Ishida? Seriously?" He nodded and Kurosaki scoffed. "And you were into that, huh?"

"I was into you. The vampire part was just…"

"A bonus?"

"Complicated." Unqualified to dispute details he couldn't recall, he hummed dismissively and leaned back in his seat at the marble-topped island. Uryuu stepped over to occupy the bar stool next to his and said, "I still can't believe she managed to scrub decades' worth of memories with a single spell."

Shaking his head, Kurosaki muttered, "I still can't believe I fell for a tsundere."

Uryuu rolled his eyes and argued, "Speak for yourself. I'm not the one who's grouchy one minute and cuddly the next."

"Who're you calling 'cuddly'?"

"So, you're not denying the 'grouchy' part?" Kurosaki gave him a sideways look that transitioned into a smirk Uryuu reflexively mirrored. "Are you implying you never cuddled with Yoruichi?"

The playful mood dissipated as Kurosaki awkwardly glanced away. "Honestly? We don't actually spend that much time together. I mean, yeah, we live together but she's usually pretty busy. She runs a law firm, y'know. Travels a lot, too."

"Can't say I'm sorry to hear that," Uryuu grumbled in a flat tone.

"You really hate her, don't you?"

There was no point in lying. He met Kurosaki's curious gaze and evenly replied, "More than anyone I've ever known."

Releasing a long sigh, he rubbed wearily at his face and said, "It's weird, but hearing that sorta makes all this easier to believe."

"How so?"

"Well…people don't just decide to hate someone, right? There's always a reason. Stealing somebody's boyfriend is a damn good reason and it'd be way weirder if you didn't hate her guts for that shit."

Uryuu could only nod agreement to such an astute observation. Silence stole over the scene once again, but it wasn't uncomfortable this time. He straightened his glasses, tucked his hair behind an ear, and took another sip of tea for lack of anything better to do. Kurosaki was watching him closely when he looked up.

"What?"

"I think I'm starting to see it." An inquisitive eyebrow encouraged him to elaborate, "How I could go for someone like you, Ishida."

Those words alone made him jittery but he played it cool. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. I can tell you're a total pain in the ass," he glared at that and Kurosaki snickered. "But I can also tell you have a lot of good qualities."

"Thanks," Uryuu acknowledged, though the word practically sparked with annoyance.

"All right, don't get hostile on me. I guess what I'm saying is it's not completely nuts to think you and I could've been dating."

"We weren't just dating, Ichigo. We were in love." Kurosaki stared at his lap while he mulled that over for a tense moment. Sensing a tipping point, Uryuu pressed, "You even told me why once."

"I did?"

"You said it was the way I spoke about my family and the Craft—how passionate I was about them and how much they meant to me." It was his turn to lower his eyes as he struggled to vocalize such embarrassing concepts about himself, "I think I reminded you of your mother, a little. From what you've told me, she was very dedicated to her family—to you and Masahiko in particular."

Kurosaki quietly agreed, "She was."

"We made each other feel safe and protected in the same way our mothers used to do. We talked and argued, made each other laugh and sometimes cry. We shared so much with each other until it felt like family. Like home. And neither of us had had anything like that in so long that it felt like everything. We were happy. Even after my link to the Craft was cut, I…"

Uryuu couldn't finish that sentence because his voice wasn't doing what he wanted and the lump in his throat wasn't helping. He closed his eyes and just concentrated on breathing for several swift heartbeats. It wouldn't do to fall apart in the middle of what was essentially a negotiation. Kurosaki may have left his dagger in the room upstairs but that didn't automatically mean they weren't enemies anymore. Hearing Uryuu out was still a far cry from ditching Team Yoruichi.

He jumped when he felt a hand touch his, eyes flaring open in shock to meet Kurosaki's, but the focused look they held belied his true motive. Uryuu felt a brief rush of energy sent in to confirm what had already been told.

"Your power really is gone, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Then everything Yoruichi said about you…" An expression of utmost confliction accompanied that semi-statement. Kurosaki swallowed and said, "I'm sorry for the way I treated you before, Ishida. The things I said…You know I was never gonna hurt you, right? I only brought that stupid knife to scare you."

Offering a weak smile, Uryuu murmured, "It's okay. You did what you thought was right."

"No. I didn't. I did what Yoruichi said was right and I should've known better. I really am sorry."

"It's okay," he repeated.

"No, it's not." Kurosaki was frowning but he still hadn't let go of Uryuu's hand. His grip tightened as he added, "If you've been telling me the truth from the start, then I can't imagine what you must have gone through over the past couple weeks because I was too dumb to figure it out for myself."

Moving his other hand to cover Kurosaki's, he insisted, "It's not your fault."

He slipped his hand from the loose clasp of Uryuu's and turned away. For a second, he worried Kurosaki had somehow picked up on the silent it's hers that he'd thought but not said. Had Uryuu pushed him away right when he was so close to winning him back? The notion made him freeze up with indecision. He couldn't move or speak until Kurosaki did first.

It felt like forever—a very excruciating, terrifying forever—but he finally turned back to ask Uryuu, "What do you need?"

"Need…for what?"

"To get your power back. It's possible, isn't it? This is magic we're talking about. So, what do you need for the spell?"

He must have looked incredibly silly gaping over something so simple but he couldn't help it. Of all the things he could have anticipated Kurosaki might say, that was definitely not one of them. It was too easy. It almost seemed more sinister than fortunate.

"I-I would only need Yoruichi's ring. I already have everything else."

"Her ring? You mean that black diamond she always wears?"

"That's the one," he wryly confirmed. "Let me guess: she never takes it off?"

"No, she does. It wouldn't be a problem to borrow it for a few hours while she's asleep…Probably," claimed Kurosaki as if they were discussing an afternoon stroll through the park, rather than burgling the precious treasure of an amped-up murderess. "Why her ring, though?"

The answer to that was surprisingly tricky to clarify. Uryuu had to describe both how Yoruichi had originally taken his power, as well as the ritual Urahara had given them to get it back. Then he had to explain who Urahara was and how they had tracked him down, which turned into the story of how Yoruichi had become what she was after losing her best friend and cursing her former lover. Kurosaki took it all in stride, listening attentively until the end with minimal questions and comments.

Once the summary was finished and he was caught up to speed, Uryuu studied him for signs of skepticism but found none. Kurosaki wasn't passing judgment one way or another. Apparently, he wasn't quite ready to make up his mind on who to trust. Uryuu was frustrated but he couldn't really blame him. It was a lot to take in—much more than anyone could be expected to in a single night—and Kurosaki was the cautious type when it came to who he let close to him.

"It's fine if you don't want to say anything right now. More importantly, you should get back before she comes looking for you. It wouldn't be easy but I bet she could get through my grandfather's wards here if she really tried."

"Hm," vaguely acknowledged Kurosaki, eyes distant in deep thought.

"Oh, that reminds me…"

Rising from his chair, Uryuu went upstairs to the room where he had been ambushed and set to searching for the missing charm. There was a lot of antique furniture and grandiose décor to check under, around, and beside but he wasn't expecting Kurosaki to come looking for him so soon. Uryuu paused when he spotted him in the doorway and shivered from the cold he'd been too preoccupied to notice till just then. Distractedly rubbing warmth into his arms, he returned to his task but kept an eye on his guest. This Kurosaki was a wildcard, after all. It would be foolish to let his guard down entirely.

Uryuu watched him walk over to an open window—presumably the one he had come through—and close it securely.

"Not a fan of the cold, huh?"

"You have no idea," he darkly confirmed.

The small act of consideration was not lost on him, but seeing Kurosaki retrieve his discarded dagger and tuck the hilt into his belt made him antsy nonetheless.

"What are you looking for?"

"This," Uryuu replied as his fingers closed around the precious wooden sphere. He took it to Kurosaki and offered it in an upturned palm. "Here. Give it to Yoruichi. I'm hoping she won't mind that you failed to kill me as long as she doesn't have to worry about this anymore."

He didn't take the charm right away. He stared at Uryuu for an unreasonable amount of time before asking, "Isn't that your only shot at taking her out?"

"Yes. Which is why you should hurry up and give it to her. I don't want to know what she might do to you if she suspects betrayal." Kurosaki still didn't make a move but kept staring instead. Uryuu stepped closer and commanded, "Take it, Ichigo. It's the only way."

"The only way to what…keep me safe? Even if it means you'll never stand a chance against her?"

"Why do you think I wanted to use it in the first place? It's no good to me if it means danger for you."

Kurosaki didn't attempt to conceal his amazement. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Of course."

Warily lifting a hand, he reached for the charm but stopped partway. He looked at Uryuu for a long moment. So long that he became impatient and pushed it into Kurosaki's pocket for him. The maneuver triggered a startled sound but he didn't retreat or rebuff Uryuu in any way.

Turning to leave and let Kurosaki see himself out like he'd seen himself in, Uryuu halted to hear him say, "No promises, but…I'll think about it, Ishida."

"Think about what?"

"Yoruichi's ring."

There was a tremor deep within, threatening to become an earthquake that would crack apart his foundation and send everything inside him crumbling down. He didn't respond but stoically left the room without a parting word, just as Ryuuken loved to do. Never had he understood the appeal of fully shutting down one's own feelings until that moment.

"Are you sure about this, Ichigo? Really sure?"

"If you don't stop asking me that…"

Uryuu sighed, watching him place the last of the myrrh-anointed pillars and light them all with a gesture of his hand. They were making quick progress on setting up a simple circle in one of the estate's less cluttered drawing rooms, which featured a large round rug perfect for providing both comfort and a prominent boundary. He was loitering uncertainly at the edge of it, still wearing his pajamas because Kurosaki had rushed over in the middle of the night and dragged him out of bed with all the urgency of a house fire.

Speaking of fire, Uryuu jumped when chopped logs stacked in the hearth behind him suddenly burst into roaring flames. Warmth radiated against his back, easing much of his tension but none of his anxiety for the witch who was endangering himself just by being there.

"I know. Sorry." He moved to sit across from Kurosaki in the center of the rug as he explained, "But I need you to understand there can be no going back to Yoruichi after this. If you restore my power, she'll be just as much your enemy as mine."

"Yeah, I get that but I've made my decision, Ishida." Holding up the roll of parchment Urahara had given them, he said, "This spell won't work if you're lying, right?"

"No, but—"

"Then, if it works I'll know you've been telling the truth."

"Yes, but—"

"And if you've been telling the truth, I owe you for giving me my life back."

"Maybe, but—"

"Look, this is happening whether you like it or not," insisted Kurosaki in a terse tone that dared him to keep arguing. "Casting the reversion spell on you is my choice to make, just like performing that ritual on me was yours. I want to do this, so quit asking if I'm sure and let me fix you!"

Uryuu frowned even though he sort of felt like smiling. "All right, but you have to let me help when Yoruichi realizes you betrayed her and she goes on a rampage."

"Deal."

Kurosaki invoked the circle, lit a sprig of dried rue, and recited the first stanza of the spell to cleanse the negative elements carried in Yoruichi's black diamond. Then, he placed it on the rug between them and picked up a small bottle of lotus oil instead. Anticipating the next step, Uryuu held out a hand for him to take and tried to keep his expression impassive as the oil was gently massaged into his skin alongside another invocation. Kurosaki was very thorough, paying attention even to the spaces between fingers, and took his time completing that step for both hands.

Just when Uryuu had convinced himself these meticulous efforts were purely for the spell's sake, Kurosaki looked up and gave him a sly little smirk.

Withdrawing his well-oiled hands, Uryuu cleared his throat and said, "That should be good. On to the next step?"

There was no response from Kurosaki but he unclasped the front of his shirt anyway. Lotus oil had a high spiritual vibration and would serve as a kind of conductor for the flow of energy they intended to guide from Yoruichi and into Uryuu. Yet, they also needed to 'paint the target' so his stolen power would return directly to its original owner and nowhere else. Kurosaki used a pale green paste smelling of eucalyptus and mint to draw a neat pentacle over Uryuu's middle. He took a deep breath in and let the fresh scent soothe him.

"Stop squirming," Kurosaki instructed, biting his lip in keen focus. "I'm trying to keep the lines straight."

"I can't help it," defended Uryuu. "That tickles."

He huffed a quick laugh, brown eyes briefly flicking up to blue before dropping to finish the sigil. When he was done, Kurosaki tilted his head and gave him a once-over to double check his work.

"You smell like spring," he told Uryuu.

"Good thing there are no bees around this time of year."

His Kurosaki would've said something cheesy and flirtatious like, they're not the only ones attracted to you right now, but this Kurosaki merely chuckled and moved on.

"Okay, you need to hold the ring against your chest with one hand and hold mine with the other."

Uryuu did as directed, feeling his own heart race beneath his palm because he was so close to being made whole again. It was a craving stronger than hunger or thirst or lust. It was like regaining a lost organ he just couldn't fully function without, or restoring the light that kept his soul from gradually withering away to nothing. It was absolutely imperative and he was struggling to contain a volley of emotions eager to burst out of him like canned confetti.

Intuiting his distress, Kurosaki squeezed his hand reassuringly as if to say, almost there. Uryuu inhaled slowly and nodded to show he was ready. He listened as the words were spoken and waited for the rise of energy Kurosaki would sacrifice to give them purpose. It felt so familiar, so right to be doing this with him again. Uryuu closed his eyes and focused on the dense blanket of power surrounding him.

Kurosaki's low voice drifted off on the last syllable but the pressure of his magic sharply increased. It was beginning to make Uryuu feel woozy, particularly when Kurosaki rested his other hand over the one holding Yoruichi's ring against his chest. The rush grew stronger still. Uryuu swayed dizzily where he sat, on the verge of slumping to the carpet, but Kurosaki held him steady. He kept pushing and pushing, pouring energy into the spell and forcing it to take effect. Uryuu could sense his unyielding determination. Finally, he understood how humbled and grateful Kurosaki had felt the morning after the rehumanizing ritual.

There was a glimmer of something stirring inside him, the spark of an electric charge. It crackled and surged, spreading out in tingling tendrils like plasma arcing from a Tesla coil. He shivered and shook as his head dipped forward from the strange sensation. Part of him was reacting, reaching excitedly to greet that which had always belonged with him.

A brilliant flare of indigo light erupted from the purified diamond and shot straight into Uryuu's heart. He heard himself cry out but couldn't feel the air leaving his lungs. All he felt was voltage in his veins, stinging and numbing and heating him up from the inside. It settled in swiftly, easing into place and smoothly flowing through him like a river bursting past a dam.

Then it was over. Uryuu looked down and saw a wisp of smoke wafting up from under their twined fingers still pressed to his chest. The minty sigil was gone, vaporized in the wake of a volatile transfer, but a faint ashen afterimage remained.

"I can feel it," he whispered reverently. "All of it, inside me. My power…" He looked at Kurosaki and gratitude soared, compelling Uryuu to spring forth and hug the witch with all his might. "Thank you, Ichigo." Burrowing into the curve of his shoulder, he hoarsely repeated, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Kurosaki murmured as his arms encircled Uryuu in return. "I'm glad it worked."

There were connotations to that statement that sent a pang of yearning into his core. If Kurosaki had wanted it to work, didn't that mean he'd been hoping Uryuu's side was where he truly belonged? That tantalizing thought flashed through his scrambled brain and before he knew it, he was kissing Kurosaki.

Breaking the forbidden connection, he said, "Sorry, that was—"

"Another 'kiss of gratitude'?" He smirked at Uryuu's sheepish expression.

"I'm sorry."

Kurosaki shook his head, leaned in close, and told him, "Don't be."

The moment their lips touched, Uryuu lost all restraint. He kissed Kurosaki hard and wild and desperate because he could feel their power resonating automatically, like two opposing magnets drawing each other together with every molecule of their beings.

Uryuu pushed him down and slid on top, humming happily when Kurosaki shifted his legs to let him in. He snatched his glasses off and reconnected their mouths for a long, sensual kiss. It wasn't Uryuu who flicked his tongue in first but he damn sure made it known that he was on board with the upgrade. His hands sought the fly of Kurosaki's jeans of their own accord, and he barely managed to stop himself before ripping it open.

"Ichigo," he breathed into the space between them, quivering from the strain of holding back. "I need you to tell me to stop if this isn't what you want."

Kurosaki gazed up at him, eyes skipping back and forth between his. He brushed Uryuu's fringe away from his face and said, "I want you, Ishida. Don't stop."

A sound suspiciously close to a sob slipped out, even though he was absolutely euphoric over the way Kurosaki leaned up to meet his kiss halfway.

Things got a bit blurry for the next several minutes as Uryuu allowed his senses of touch and taste to override everything else. He surfaced in time to notice most of their clothes were gone, uncaringly cast aside in every direction for the sake of getting naked as soon as possible. His fingers were dragging Kurosaki's boxers past his thighs while he kissed a path down his centerline. The way he groaned when Uryuu swallowed him was beyond inspirational.

"How do you want it, Ichigo?" he asked and leisurely licked the head of his erection, giving it a few pumps for good measure.

"Mmmh." Moaning and arching from the pleasure of Uryuu's tongue, it took him a moment to express his desires. "Fuck me."

That was a tad surprising but not totally unexpected. It was far from the first time Kurosaki had made this request, after all. There was a slight issue, however, that Uryuu was mentally kicking himself over. Of all the times to be out of lube!

"I-I don't have anything for…"

"Hold on, I know a spell for this."

"Since when!?"

Gods damned Yoruichi. If Kurosaki hadn't already told him they'd never gotten around to sleeping together, Uryuu may very well have imploded on the spot. As it was, he listened to the words Kurosaki was muttering and wondered if it would be worth swallowing his pride to learn.

"Good to go," he announced and pulled Uryuu back in for a sloppy kiss.

Any reservations he had about using one of that pervy witch's spells evaporated when Kurosaki gasped to feel him easing right inside. The motion was smooth but tight, and Uryuu had to pause for much-needed breath once fully seated. In the interim, he relished the dazed look on Kurosaki's face and dipped down to kiss him coherent again, nipping his lip for extra effect.

"All right?"

Grinning as he wound his arms around Uryuu, he purred, "Hell yes."

Oh, how he had missed Kurosaki's hands gliding across his skin! Uryuu shivered pleasantly and started moving.

Finding the perfect spot was never difficult for him. He knew quite a lot about the human body—Kurosaki's in particular—and had memorized all the best angles to make him go completely crazy in no time. Unaware of these facts, he probably figured Uryuu was some sort of sexual savant. Kurosaki was the reason he was so good in bed; he just didn't know it yet. The notion made him smile.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself," Uryuu teased and sucked hard at the crook of his shoulder. "Think you're ready for the next level?"

Closed eyes snapped open at that. Kurosaki incredulously blurted, "There's another level?"

Uryuu's smile curved into a wicked leer. "Try not to come right away."

Pushing Kurosaki's legs up a little more, he adjusted his position just slightly and braced on both elbows above him. Then Uryuu began to rock forward and back, slowly, but picking up speed with each thrust. It wasn't much of an alteration from what he'd been doing, except now he was flexing his hips in a way that made his warm, slick belly rub right over Kurosaki's stiff, leaking cock. Judging by the way he cursed and dragged blunt fingernails down Uryuu's back, it was the perfect amount of friction and pressure.

"Fuck, Ishida, I'm gonna…"

"Not yet," he murmured against an ear before biting into the lobe. "I'm not done with you."

Kurosaki shuddered and moaned but he didn't come. He squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated on staving it off because that's what Uryuu had told him to do. This definitive display of trust struck him with a visceral potency. In his current state, Kurosaki did not know him well. They were little better than acquaintances—former enemies, even. Still, he had decided to trust Uryuu enough let him top and control when he climaxed. Had Kurosaki already fallen in love with him for the second time?

Uryuu kissed him tenderly and got the same treatment in kind. He gazed adoringly into brown eyes, and Kurosaki gazed right back.

Emotion drenched Uryuu like a downpour, the thousands of drops of affection-compassion-humor-concern-annoyance-kindness-pride-passion that made up the ocean of his love for Kurosaki. It was painful and wonderful, too much to bear and not enough to satisfy. Uryuu felt the thrum of their magic approaching a crescendo in tune with mutual pleasure and worship. He couldn't delay it any longer.

A whispered phrase granted Kurosaki's release, and Uryuu followed right along with him.

What he experienced then was unlike any other orgasm he'd ever had. His stomach clenched hard, his insides shattered from sheer rapture, and power burst out of him as if an epic spell had been cast. He almost blacked out, but he heard Kurosaki make a strange noise and fought back the void's pull for fear that he'd been hurt by the blast wave. Uryuu raised his head to check and balked to see tears dripping from the corners of his eyes, streaking past his temples to soak into disheveled orange hair.

Before he could ask what was wrong, Kurosaki hugged him tightly and said, "I remember, Uryuu. I remember everything."

Dawn was just beginning to break through the gauzy curtains of his bedroom window but Uryuu was seconds away from nodding off. It was the warmth, the comfort, the effulgent bliss of having Kurosaki holding him again that made it so easy to drift toward a very serene dream state. They still had so much to say but he was swiftly losing the battle to stay conscious.

Until Kurosaki chuckled and asked, "So, you're saying sex magic broke the hex?"

Uryuu yawned, then smiled as a kiss was pressed to his temple. "Mm, more like 'love magic'."

"I guess love really does conquer all." The levity in Kurosaki's voice suggested he was joking, but he sounded serious when he said, "You saved me again, Uryuu."

"I can't take credit for something I didn't even know I was doing."

"Your body sure as hell knew," Kurosaki praised, running a hand along his side to curve around his hip. "You haven't fucked me like that in a while. Show me that possessive side of you more often."

Although Uryuu might normally get an instant hard-on from hearing him talk like that, all he could manage was a sated hum and a firm kiss. They had gone at each other in the shower after the ritual, then again once they'd bundled up in bed. He would've gladly kept expressing his 'possessive side' all day long but he just didn't have the energy for it at the moment.

Besides, there was a slightly more concerning matter at hand.

"We need to figure out what we're going to do about Yoruichi."

"Why not just stick with the original plan?"

Nuzzling against his shoulder, Uryuu mumbled, "You mean the one that hinged on a fancy charm we probably can't duplicate for another decade?"

"Yeah, that one." Kurosaki chuckled at his blank expression and said, "I never gave Yoruichi the charm. I never even took it out of the house. It's in a fancy vase near the foyer."

"What? But she—"

"I gave her a fake. It was a pretty big risk but if you were telling the truth, losing the real charm seemed worse. Luckily, she didn't even touch it. She told me to destroy it and watched it burn to ash on my palm."

Uryuu couldn't say he wasn't glad to hear it but, "Idiot!" he snapped and pinched his side.

"Ow! Hey, it turned out okay, didn't it? Besides…" Kurosaki gave him a heated look and leaned in until their noses grazed. "It's your fault for kissing me like that. Do you know how tough it was to leave when all I wanted was to take you right up against that column?"

Returning the sensual kiss he was given to prove it, Uryuu nonetheless complained, "Should've guessed sex appeal would be more persuasive than logic."

Kurosaki laughed at his own expense, then gradually sobered. "I'm sorry, Uryuu. I hate myself for not figuring it out sooner."

"Don't. I already said it wasn't your fault." He shut his eyes and leaned their foreheads together with a light sigh. "None of that matters now that I have you back."

The way Kurosaki caressed up and down his back was indescribably soothing. Uryuu was so happy he could cry but he also couldn't stop smiling. There was a strange, smothering feeling in his chest that reminded him of the moment he realized Kurosaki had become a permanent part of him, and he would never be the same again. There was no doubt in Uryuu's mind that he wanted to go through with the Handfasting ceremony soon. The notion of tethering his soul to Kurosaki's was a promise of paradise he couldn't wait to discover.

"At least there was one good thing about having my memory wiped."

"What's that?"

Expecting him to say something about being able to temporarily forget all those years spent suffering Shirosaki's antics, Uryuu's heart pounded painfully to hear him softly reply, "I got to fall for you twice in one lifetime."

It was like dark chocolate for the soul: sweet and rich, but with an underlying bitterness to offset the rest because he couldn't help feeling guilty. His fingers twined with Kurosaki's almost shyly as he prepared to make a painful confession.

"I'm the one who should apologize." He took a breath to argue but Uryuu wasn't willing to hear undeserved reassurance. Fixing his eyes on their clasped hands, he said, "I-I came so close to giving up on us, Ichigo. When I realized your memories of Shirosaki were gone…I'd do anything to erase the burden of all that misery from your past and if Yoruichi wasn't plotting to steal your powers, I would've let you go."

Uryuu didn't have the courage to glance up and gauge his reaction to this disturbing news. Turns out he wasn't given a choice: Kurosaki's free hand shot out to tightly grasp his hair and force his head back so their eyes locked. One glimpse of his enraged expression and Uryuu could tell he wasn't taking it well. The observation was only emphasized by the aggressive way Kurosaki crushed their mouths together.

"You massive," bit his lip just hard enough to hurt, "irredeemable," pushed his tongue inside to wreak unforgiving havoc, "hopelessly self-sacrificing moron!"

"I know," breathed Uryuu between more of those punishing kisses. "I'm sor—"

"Shut up." Bringing the hand he held to press palm-down against his own chest, he demanded, "Can you feel that?"

Could he feel Kurosaki's strong heart knocking riotously against his ribs over Uryuu's almost-betrayal? In that moment, he couldn't have felt anything else if his life depended on it. Swallowing against the remorse rising in his throat, he softly answered, "Yes."

"My heart doesn't just beat because of you, Uryuu. It beats for you. Only you. Don't you understand that?" Seeing the moisture welling behind blue eyes, Kurosaki's outrage shifted merciful but he sternly continued, "You're not allowed to give up on us. Ever."

"Okay," Uryuu quickly agreed, exhaling unsteadily when the grip in his hair loosened to pet comfortingly there instead.

"Swear it," he insisted before giving a contrastingly tender kiss.

"I swear." Kurosaki's heart was still racing—not just from anger but also fear over the close call he hadn't even been aware of at the time. Hiding his face against that strong chest, Uryuu hoarsely repeated, "I'm sorry."

"You should be." His tone matched the spiteful words, but Kurosaki's arms wound protectively around him without hesitation. "Why did you have to tell me that? It's bad enough dealing with the memory of you practically begging me to kill you rather than live without me. How the hell do you think it feels hearing you say I would've been better off with amnesia than withyou?"

There was an agonized tremor in his voice toward the end that made Uryuu feel like he could never atone for being the cause of it. At the same time, it made him feel like the luckiest person in the universe because Kurosaki loved him that much. So much that the choice between freedom from decades of remembered torment versus staying by Uryuu's side…was simply no choice at all.

Nestling as close to his lover as possible, he vowed, "I'll fight for you, Ichigo. For us. No matter who or what stands in our way, I won't back down until we're both safe."

"Yeah, you better," grumbled Kurosaki against his hair, sounding reluctantly placated. "'Cause you know I'll damn sure do the same."

Uryuu smiled and basked in the most perfect sense of peace he'd ever known.