Make it Stop

Summary: Ichigo is tired 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: This is now beta'ed to match with the latest chapter. Now Shiro's speech matches. Everyone bow down to TealEyedBeing and go and read her stories! Freakin Awesome stuff, let me tell you… (A/N posted 11/16/09)

x`x`x`x

Ichigo walked down the streets of the upside down world. He didn't want to think. He didn't want to know that outside, Rukia's body was spread across the pavement in a gory tapestry of blood and innards. He didn't want to think about his youngest sister, unconscious in a white bed, being treated by their father. He didn't want to go on another mission. He didn't want to think about how he had failed.

"What 'cha doin' down here King?" Shiro asked. "I thought ya hated this dump?" Ichigo didn't answer.

Right now, this dump was the nicest place in the world for him. No Byakuya ordering him around, no Renji making fun of him, and no Hollows other than the one that he knew he wouldn't have to fight. The redhead slinked his arms around Shiro's waist and buried his nose in the albino's neck. Shiro smelled nice, kind of like how the air smelled when it rained. Ichigo took a deep breath. He wouldn't have to think here.

"Uh, King? Not tha' I don' appreciate th' attention, but wha' th' fuck are ya doin'?" Once again, Ichigo didn't answer. No thinking, not here. He pushed Shiro down to the ground and lay with his head in the Hollow's lap. No more thinking.

x`x`x`x

The doctors were baffled. There had been five bodies at the scene of the "bombing". Three had been adults that had been drinking in the nearby bar. Two had been students. The students had been identified by sobbing friends as Rukia Kuchiki and Ichigo Kurosaki. Rukia had been dead when the ambulance had arrived, but Ichigo had had no external injuries. The confused nurses had done tests for three days straight before they were forced to admit that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the boy, aside from the fact that he wouldn't wake up. Within a week of Ichigo being admitted to the hospital, an anonymous payment was received to cover a room and any treatment that one Ichigo Kurosaki would need for the next month. After the money ran out, another envelope of money was received weekly, paying for the bare necessities that Mr. Kurosaki could not afford to pay. Friends and family visited frequently for the first few weeks, but gradually visits slowed to a trickle, till the boy's family was coming only once a week, and his friends almost never.

Therefore, when two solemn gentlemen requested access to Ichigo's room claiming to be old friends, the kind hearted nurse let them in gladly, thinking that it was wonderful that some of the boy's friends still cared enough to visit. She left the men alone, both of them standing over Ichigo's bed.

"He should be awake by now." The red haired man whispered, moving a few of the tubes that fed the boy away from his face. "It's been four months. The black haired man showed no compassion.

"He is hiding. He could be awake now, but he doesn't want to, so he hides inside his mind. I would even bet that he can hear us right now, Renji, calling him the coward he is. To hide when he is needed." Renji didn't reply. Byakuya looked down at Ichigo with a sneer. "Here me now, the Soul Society has been paying your hospital bills. Next week, the usual payment will not be delivered. Your father is not poor, but he is not rich enough to support your family and to pay for you to laze around in a hospital room all day. Think about your options." The captain swirled around on his heel and glided out the door. With one last lingering look at the substitute shinigami's face, Renji followed.

x`x`x`x`

Ichigo was lying in his favorite position: face up towards the sky with his head resting in Shirosaki's lap. It didn't rain in the upside down world any more. Now, white fluffy clouds blew across the sky, morphing into different shapes, merging with larger storm clouds, and only occasionally letting raindrops fall to gently splat on the redhead's face. Here, it was always quiet and peaceful. Well, almost always.

"So, King, whatcha' gonna do 'bout th' assholes?" Ichigo threw an arm over his eyes mumbling. "Wha' was tha' King? I couldn'' hear ya!" Shiro ran his hand through orange strands, tugging sharply. Ichigo moved his arm and glared up at his Hollow.

"I said shut up!"

"But if ya talk then so can I! Tha' was yer rule, remember?" Ichigo muttered again and replaced his arm over his face. Shiro tugged it away, frowning.

"Seriously, whatcha' gonna do? I know ya don' wanna strain yer family wit' a bill they can't afford. An' th' bastards at th' Soul Society won' pay it anymore. You can't jus' sit 'ere."

"Since when do you care?!" Ichigo snapped.

"Since ya came in 'ere." Shiro pointed out calmly. He rubbed his cold white hands through hair and across tense muscles gently. "I know ya care an' if yer in a bitchy mood, it starts rainin' again." It was true, small raindrops were already falling. With a groan, Ichigo pulled himself up.

"I don't want to leave. I don't care about that world. I like it in here, with you." Shiro pulled the redhead into a hug, cooing.

"Awww! I love you to shnoogums! But ya really do hafta go. I'll be right 'ere wit' ya all th' way. I'll talk t' ya in yer dreams, ya can spend th' nights wit' me an' when we're alone, I'll come t' ya, 'kay?"

"Fine." Ichigo grumbled. "Five more minutes." Shiro giggled, but didn't protest, running his fingers through the smooth hair again.

Ichigo had been fragile from the start. Shiro hadn't been able to make him talk for a whole week, and when he finally did, sentences were composed of only two or three words. By the time Shiro had the whole story; Ichigo had been in the sideways world for three weeks. Shiro had hidden for a while after that. He had needed to rethink his situation. His plan, in the end, had been simple. Ichigo was hurting, malleable. Shiro was the one that he had come to for comfort. If the Hollow played his cards right, he would have his King eating out of his hand by the time he left. Shiro had known from the beginning that the Soul Society wouldn't keep paying the bills for long. He had only a few more weeks to make his plan work.

In the end, the Hollow's hopes were achieved. Even though Ichigo knew that Shiro was a Hollow, someone he had been told to hate and fight, Shiro had been the one to comfort him. Shiro had been there for him when he was falling apart. The best part was that the albino would never leave him, like everyone else seemed to. He would always be there in the back of his mind. The man gave good advice, too. He could comfort him and help him make a decision like no one else had ever been able to. Shiro was Ichigo's friend, and Ichigo loved him.

Shiro was actually getting more out of this than he had expected, truth be told. He had the redhead under his thumb, but it was more than that. Shiro loved the feeling he got when Ichigo would look up at him and smile. He loved the way that Ichigo would listen to him so attentively, always doing whatever he was told. Ichigo didn't want to think, so Shiro would think for him. When Ichigo had started to kiss him, Shiro had shrugged and accepted it. It had seemed to make the redhead feel better. Soon though, the Hollow was the one to initiate the kisses, and make out sessions became common. The two would seek comfort in each other's warmth. They both derived pleasure from the act and when the world seemed so shitty, what was wrong with taking pleasure where you could? Shiro knew that Hollows weren't supposed to love, but he was fiercely protective of his King, and he didn't know what else to call the feelings he harbored for Ichigo. The albino leaned down and kissed his King softly on the forehead.

"Times up King." Ichigo pouted, but got up anyway.

"You won't disappear?" He asked quietly. Shiro giggled in his own special, insane way.

"Nope! I'll always be right 'ere!" The grinning Hollow rapped his knuckles gently against Ichigo's forehead before leaning in to kiss it. Ichigo accepted the kiss gladly, starving for love and affection. Shiro turned him around and gave him a gentle shove. "Go on." He whispered. With that, Ichigo disappeared; back into the real world.