Warnings – Language, non-consensual, MPreg with a difference, Weird author's sense of humour!!

This story is now complete and resubmitted in order as previous is dipped from past to future and back again. Now beginning bit by bit to replace how it was now that I can put it all in order.

'Hello' thinking.

Hello Hichigo

Hello Zangetsu

The Future…

Ichigo screamed at the worst pain he'd ever felt. They could slice him up all they wanted, stab him with their various needles, or even fuck him to oblivion, he didn't care. This pain was unbearable; it scared him to his core as he endured the seeming endless hours.

"Listen to me just breathe pant pant pant right?" The flash of pink hair was particularly irritating today. What nerves Ichigo had, were certainly snapped now.

"Just get this….owwwww…..damn thing out of me….I'll kill that fucking Aizen!...Aggghhhh…."

Well technically Aizen fucking him to oblivion is how he arrived at this. One of Aizen's little science projects. A little science project that never seemed to give Aizen any pain or suffering just the poor sods that it was inflicted upon. In this case Kurosaki Ichigo.

Aizen stood watching the events on his monitors. Seeing his little Ichigo in pain brought a curious emotion out in him. Maybe that was because Ichigo was about to give birth to his child; maybe not.

"Agggghhhhh…Get it OUT!" Ichigo screamed clenching the pink hair Espada with murderous intent. His finger nails clenched into the mans arms as firmly as the pain bearing down inside his back passage consumed his being. There was only one focus and that was the pain.

The Past…Err Further back than the one after this one!

Nemu did not avoid the blow that was coming right for her. It was pointless. She knew her father was angry by his raving as he marched thought the labs of 12th Division towards her. Several lesser subordinates had already been slapped down by the irate captain. Mayuri Kurotsuchi slashed his hand harshly across is artificial daughters face.

"Missing! Tell me how you can explain that! How is it that vials of my Ashisogi Jizō poison are missing!"

The Past…

Ichigo slept taking advantage of a Hollow free night. With the vast amount that seemed to have surrounded him recently it was strange to have a night where nothing seemed to be happening. Even his dad had gone to bed instead of nursing his poster of his wife. That's how totally calm – boring – this evening was.

With a severely restrained retsui, and the promise of a more… entertaining evening… a rip appeared in Ichigo's bedroom. Not a large one, this didn't promise a Menos. It was just large enough for one tall brunette to step through.

Aizen looked around the room. His cool glaze took in the neat, orderly books. A school bag prepared for tomorrow. A desk with completed homework lying with a lazy pencil across it. Green curtains shutting out the bright moon and finally one blue and white bed with a large unmoving bulge.

The orange messy mop laid on the pillow facing him and the face was peaceful, without its scowl, if that was possible. The naked chest exposed to the dark nights air. Hands laid flat beneath a cheek.

Aizen watched mesmerised by the rise and fall of the chest. That beautiful coloured skin with its silvery threads of scars. One of them must be his scar. The scar that marked him the day they met. The day he looked into the eyes of this boy and realised the potential strength this kid would have once he reached Soul Society the appropriate way. By dying in his real body.

But that would not be his doing.

He slid his hands into his pocket and unsheathed a syringe needle. A squirt of the liquid was pressed into the air before Aizen looked back at his prize.

One precautionary measure and a flick of his free hand sealed a retsui bracelet around one wrist. Ichigo stirred enough to roll onto his back, but didn't wake.

In one swift motion, another precautionary measure and a hand cupped the mouth as the needle hit its mark on the bare shoulder.

Ichigo's eyes flew open startled and his cry of surprise ceased at his lips unable to pass the firm pressure on his mouth. His eyes darted in the darkness to the man now straddling his form, rendering his struggle for escape useless.

"Good evening." The cool voice smiled at him.

Ichigo shifted his head side to side in an attempt to free the hand. "Don't struggle Ichigo-kun. The effects of this will soon become noticeable." He waved the syringe. "Now if I let go, do you promise not to call out?" The boy growled. "Then you won't know what I've just injected into you will you? I'm sure you want to know." Wary eyes glared up at him and the scowl deepened. "Shall we try that again? Do you promise?" Aizen smiled at the nod and released his hand.

"What was it!" Ichigo tried to wriggle his shoulders to free his arms from under Aizen's knees but he was pinned tight.

"You can thank the genius that is Mayuri Kurotsuchi for this. Its the poison from his Zanpakutō, Ashisogi Jizō. It renders the victim helpless and completely paralysed. A curious side effect, however that you don't in fact loose the ability of feeling. So this should be quite a rewarding night."

Ichigo's face strained and he groaned with the effort of trying to move, wriggle anything, but nothing happened.

Aizen smiled satisfied. "It seems to be working just fine." He reached into another pocked and pulled out another syringe. "Now this one, is slightly different. My rather less of a genius scientist Szayel Aporro Granz assures me, that this will take much longer to take affect."

"Ahh." Ichigo hated needles at the best of times, usually when they were in the hands of his father being wielded around as he rambled in his insanity however may have something to do with it.

The smile on Aizen's face seemed more sinister today and Ichigo hoped what ever was on this sick guys mind would be over quickly.

'What's he done to me?' He called out to his mind not daring to disappear into his inner world, choosing to keep an eye, albeit a useless one, on Aizen.

'Other than what he's told you we aren't sure yet.' It was the normally reassuring voice of Zangetsu. 'He's suppressing your power with one of those bracelets."

"What are you trying to do to me?" He spat at the man.

"Time is an amazing thing. Some revelations will happen sooner than others. But patience is something we have to accept for the ultimate designs."

"I'm not going to that damn shit hole with you!"

"Oh really? If that was my intention, do you think you would still be here…" He slid a finger down the bare chest passing over a nipple causing Ichigo to widen his eyes in horror. "…in your bed?"

"GET OFF ME!" His anger was at full rage now. "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!"

"No the question should be Ichigo-kun, who the hell do you think you are? Especially seeing as you are a little vulnerable right now?"

"Agghhhh!" A surge of pain raged around Ichigo's insides and if he could have Ichigo would have curled up into a ball, but all he could do was screw up his eyes and grimace. Aizen's hand covered his taught mouth again.

"And you are getting a little noisy." He smirked at the evidence that this second injection was working just as Szayel had predicted. "The pain will pass in a couple of days."

The signs of pain were music to the aspiring God's ears. He was creating a perfect specimen and this vessel was making the sounds of such erotic music. He could feel his erection twitching in his undergarments. His own breathing deepen and his heart race faster. This helpless creature was as beautiful to him as any classic painting he had collected.

Ever one to prepare for every eventuality, Aizen pushed a wad of gagging fabric into the groaning mouth. It didn't stifle all the sounds, that would be disappointing. Aizen wanted to hear some of the whimpers and cries.

He had perfected this type of fabric during his experiments/engagements with Gin. This allowed the perfect levels of sound to filter through and leave him with the sound he devoured during their most intimate moments.

Aizen's fingers traced the lines of Ichigo's collar bones. The teen looked at him his face mixed with confusion and pain. The hands trailed down the firm torso enjoying the feel of the shuddering pained muscles. His fingers lingering on the scars especially that on his side where Aizen's sword almost cut him in half, giving a low level amused laugh as the sounds of what must have been swear words tried to make their way out of the boys mouth.

Sliding himself down the youth's legs, he slid the sheets down amidst louder cries of protest. Aizen's eyes drifted to the hips and slow slung pyjama bottoms. He felt a lurch of lust at imagining what lay beneath the cotton fabric. His hand drifted over the centre section, sensing the soft length underneath pass under his palm. His fingers gripped the flaccid organ, rewarded with a higher increase in noise from the kid.

Ichigo swore and cursed. He fought frantically to make his immobile body move to stop this, what ever this was going to be. Surely not what he dreaded. Surely not. Please not that.

It was. It most defiantly was what he dreaded. The hands slid to his waist band and tugged at the elastic, flicking it under the lush buttocks and along the long lithe legs.

Anticipation rose inside the older man, he licked his lips wanting to devour this beautiful body beneath him. He unhooked his calling trembling penis.

Ichigo cried out in a scared whimper, desperately trying to beg for this not to happen for something, someone to rescue him. That damn bracelet, just as Aizen planned, meant that his power surges would go unnoticed by anyone who could help. His eyes were as wide as possible, his heart beating frantically, and his screams were unheeded. The stomach pains were severe and cramping badly, his stressed tensed body aggravating what ever was happening inside him. But Ichigo could only think of the impending humiliation as Aizen picked his limp useless legs up and placed them on his shoulders.

Aizen was an adrenaline fuelled junkie. High on the sound coming frantically from Ichigo. He didn't care tonight about the boys needs, he only wanted to satisfy himself. Waiting for tonight had been a strange endurance task for him. He was used to waiting, but for this, it had almost been unbearable. If it was not for Gin, this would have been a short two minute disappointing occurrence. But because Gin had given him stress relieving oral therapy before he set out, he knew he had time on his side and the night was young.

Tears sprang forth accompanied by a huge mortified scream, much to Aizen's pleasure, as he pressed firmly into the unforgiving tense muscle that nestled between the pert buttocks.

Aizen pressed his thumbs harshly into the back of Ichigo's knees keeping them firmly in place as he pressed on, thrust after thrust. The teens cries of discomfort, pain, humiliation and fully fledged fear was the perfect song that Aizen had hoped to hear. Yells, shrieks and screams lead to whimpers, sobs and cries, and ultimately gave way to a pathetic snivel by the time Aizen's body jerked its awesome climax into the unyielding cavern.

The perfect endurance fuck.

Totally degraded Ichigo made no sound as the man pulled free, wiped his blood stained penis on the sheets, and covered the boy up.

He closed his eyes as the tears fell silently.

"I proved my point I hope Ichigo-Kun, that I can claim you where ever I want to. Don't try to run from this or I will take you back to my hell hole as you call it." Aizen bent and placed a soft kiss on the boy's lips.

Ichigo screwed his eyes up tight wishing he could move away and crawl into a hole somewhere. Wishing he could turn back time and make this never happen.

The pain in his stomach gripped him and he groaned.

"You best rest up for a couple of days. I'll be back to check up on you. Be thankful that I am being merciful and letting you stay with your family and friends." He opened a rip, turned once to remove the bracelet and gag and stepped silently away.

The Past Somewhere in a Large Veeerrrryyyyy Large White Castle…

"Successful mission?" Szayel asked as Aizen graced the dining hall and choose, to his surprise, to sit next to him.

"It went to plan. But I would like you to tell me about that injection again."

"It is a powerful hormonal injection, but with the ability to grow the female organs. Well as close to growing them at least. The womb on my test subject seemed to connect to the colon rather than make a female virginal opening. It's not a precise art yet. My subjects required two injections, two days apart. The pain seemed to be the only side affect I noticed which is unsurprising. The body is rapidly forcing the womb and ovaries to grow in a form not designed to take them. Your subject will be ready to carry an embryo within the month."

"And the pregnancy?"

"I have not had chance to get a subject to the point of birth yet. They miscarry early with only the one subject so far reaching the later months. I have isolated them and enforced complete rest from 6 months. I did express that my research was not complete."

The Morning After…

"Daaaadddd." Goat face looked up at his daughter Yuzu, already ready for school but emptying the washing machine. "Did you put Ichigo's sheets in last night?" She frowned, she knew she hadn't done it and no one else usually helped her with the laundry.

"Ahh my delightful daughter. No daddy didn't." He smiled his wide smile and wondered at the strange question.

"Er….There seems to be blood still on them. What did he do to himself this time?" Yuzu held the sheet aloft and Isshin looked at the pale stain of blood that had refused to wash away.

Isshin sighed. Was Ichigo really cut out to be a shingigami; he certainly got hurt a lot? Actually, where was Ichigo?

Isshin trampled the bedroom door down; he'd sussed the knack of popping the hinge just right that he wouldn't have to keep replacing doors by now.

"Ahh here I come son of mine! It is daddy ready to greet you with a morning kiss!"

He prepared the foot that Ichigo would certainly force between his eyes and dodged the blow that didn't come. He hesitated. "Son of mine…" He started to drone on again and stopped as his eyes adjusted to the darkened room with its curtains still closed. His boy had not even dragged himself from his bed. This was unusual.

Ichigo shook and shivered in his bed. His brow seemed to be alight and Isshin frowned at the way he remained curled in a ball gripping his stomach.

"Go away." He groaned.

"Don't forget I am a super hero doctor ready to take away all your ailments!" The man said in his enthusiastic cheery voice as he leaned over the bed.

"Please… Go away." Ichigo pulled the sheets further over himself.

"Ichigo?" He father sat on the edge of the bed and pulled a thermometer from his doctor's jacket and pressed it into the teen's mouth. "Did you over eat Yuzu's pudding?" He frowned at the reading. "Come let daddy examine the pain." Let daddy see where those Hollows cut you up this time.

With all his might resisting a fight to stop his father or anyone to touching him, Ichigo rolled onto his back. The first injection seemed to take hours to wear off before either he or Hichigo could move, but thanks to his for once helpful Hollow he made it to the shower to wash and wash and wash, to rid himself of the vile smell. Even now, though he had a nagging fear that the smell of Aizen still lingered.

His fathers probing hands pressed down on his abdomen and watched as Ichigo yelped nearer to his pubic bone. With all the embarrassing questions of his bowel movements, Ichigo was hoping his dad would be able to tell him what Aizen did with that second injection.

Isshin shrugged. No fresh wound, no bruises and defiantly no blood? Strange. Maybe for once, he is genuinely ill? "I'll send off some bloods." Had it been to the side, he could have said it was an appendix. As it stood, his only conclusion was a twisted colon, pained as he was, Ichigo wasn't pained enough for that. "Daddy and doctor's orders are to get some sleep."

"If only." The grimacing teen replied.

Two Days Later…

Karin knew her brother was faking it to get off school. She stormed open the bedroom door and looked at him sitting in the chair at his desk. Mind you if he was faking it, he wouldn't surely have fallen asleep sitting there like that would he? One hand gripping at his stomach the other resting under his head.

"Oi!" She jabbed him in the side and jumped back surprised as he woke with an anguished cry.

"No!"

"Hey, idiot it's me!" She tutted.

"Oh…Karin." He looked at her with clear relief. "What'd you wake me for? I'm sick!"

"So get into bed!" She snorted.

"What d'you want?" He scowled moving in a semi hunched way onto the bed.

"Yuzu and I are going to school, Dad's in the clinic. He said he'd check on you later."

"That all?"

"Yeah. Why want a medal?" She tutted leaving him.

He watched her leave and sighed heavily. He gripped his stomach and groaned. Two days he'd been stuck here and the pains weren't getting any easier. At least he hadn't had another visit. At least Aiz…

The rip appeared before Ichigo's wide eyes and he scrambled backward up his bed as Aizen stepped out smiling.

"Fuck off, Fuck right off!" Ichigo spat angrily as the man pulled a syringe from his pocket.

"Is that anyway to greet me?" An eyebrow rose. "Me your master?"

"You think I'd bow down to you!" Ichigo barely got the words out of his mouth when a flick of Aizen's fingers saw the bracelet appear on his wrist. Aizen raised his retsui until Ichigo tumbled forward on the bed gasping for breath and feeling intensely sick.

The needle pricked into his shoulder amidst curses from the boy.

Aizen withdrew the pressure and looked smugly at the angry face that stared back at him. "You are just a fuck toy. A 'thing' I use to get what I want. Don't think above your station boy." A hand backhanded him off the bed and Ichigo lay like a limp rag doll as the drug took effect. His face burned with the hand print and he bit his lip, holding in his feelings as the dread began to rise.

Two large strong hands reached down and clasped him roughly. He whimpered at the pain as his tugged hair took his weight until he was pushed face down into his mattress, half his body resting on the floor.

His pyjama's tore with a loud rip from his agonised form.

"Please…no…not again."

"Ahh. What's up my little pet?" Aizen stroked a shoulder with tender pressure.

"Please don't." The tenderness was as frightening as the pain and Ichigo could feel the tears already falling down his cheeks. It wasn't that he didn't like pain, he knew in his fight against Aizen and his cronies he would suffer huge amounts of pain; but like this, so helpless, so violated…it was horrific.

"I don't think I care what you want." Aizen pulled the second syringe out and stabbed it into a beautiful rounded buttock.

"Ahhhhh….What is that? What does it do?"

"It merely makes your more suitable for my needs." The man said dryly. He wasn't going to give more information. 'The sweet suffering this boy must be going through is wonderful. How many hours has he laid awake waiting for me to return? How many times as he thought about how I felt inside him? This was such a divine way to ruin him. Divine, now that just describes what I am looking at.'

Ichigo was helpless to respond to the kisses that fell down the back of his neck. Nor could he stop the gag from being pressed into his mouth, or the hand that cracked down on his back and buttocks over and over.

He could feel his skin turning into a burning sea of inflamed tension. Whimpers and cries came rushing from him, as the fresh hormones tore at his intestines. Aizen seemed fuelled by each sound and whimper. The touches down his arms, torso and buttocks were becoming increasingly fervent.

Aizen rolled him over, his eyes soaking up the sculptured, toned body. He adored each bulge of the boy's muscles, especially as they rippled as he bit or licked them. The body shivered involuntarily from the inner changes. The whimpers were just as involuntary. Just as delicious. Aizen felt his arousal rise and rise more, with each passing minute until he cupped the tactile testicles and gave a firm squeeze. The sound that rose from the gag was worthy of his seed spilling already without attention and Aizen paused panting as he calmed himself. The fact that this was his mortal enemy who'd wipe him off the face of existence given enough chance and was now a pitiful whimpering lump of flesh, made him cherish and savour every single second.

His mouth curled into the most sinister smile Ichigo had yet seen and he gulped with fear as Aizen captured his limp member in his mouth and began to tease and stimulate it. Ichigo shook his head, trying to say no. Repeating it over and over, as huge fat tears flooded down his face soaking into his hair and pillow. He cried out in total embarrassment as he shot into Aizen's mouth panting and screwing his eyes up tightly in shame. Aizen laughed at him.

"What a pathetic little creature you are." He breathed into Ichigo's ear.

One firm flip and Ichigo was on his stomach. Each large hand prized a buttock apart and Aizen spat onto the bud waiting for him. His more than ready erection, slid with some need for force into the intolerant ring of muscles. One merciless thrust rammed into the spoilt flesh and lead to another. Over and over, with increasing vigour, Aizen pushed harder and harder. The boy beneath him screamed until his voice was too sore to allow any more sounds. Finally Aizen inhaled sharply as he climaxed and let himself fall onto Ichigo quivering as his climax ridden body calmed.

Again, he wiped himself on the sheet and tucked himself in, as he savoured the last look at the divine sight below him. Blood began to trickle in one delicate trail down between the boy's legs. Aizen smiled and rolled the boy over. He placed him neatly in the bed, covered him over and opened the rip. He looked at the frozen disgusted face and bent to kiss the soft red cheek.

"Until next time." The bracelet vanished off his wrist, the gag from his mouth and Aizen shut the rip behind him.

Isshin's stomach rumbled, he wandered into the kitchen and looked at the washing machine. 'Oh don't say the damn thing has gone wrong? It can't be still on the wash cycle from Yuzu putting it on before school?' He stared at the dials but that all seemed to be in order. His ears pricked up at the sounds of movement from the lounge and he stood to see Ichigo lying on the sofa wrapped in a duvet minus its cover.

"You okay?" Isshin asked walking around the front of his son. Instantly he could see that the shivering had returned and he was burning up. "Bed."

"Not up there." He said his eyes flashing with something Isshin didn't understand.

"Kay…The clinic where I can keep an eye on you?" The boy nodded. Better that than where Aizen had been. "Come on." He flipped the bedding open and decided that just watching Ichigo get up, wasn't enough. His shaking legs didn't seem strong enough to hold him and Isshin put an arm around his waist.

Ichigo, felt drawn to his dad, drawn to his care and strength; the life long promise of protection.

Isshin was surprised by the arm that came and hugged him. A mixture of emotions ran through him as he hugged his son back. Surprise and joy that Ichigo turned to him. Surprise and sadness that he felt ill enough to need comfort. He felt his shirt dampen at fresh tears and he frowned, but kept his hold around the teens back.

Ichigo's body was rampant with hormones it didn't understand. The tears he cried came of their own accord, as his pain wracked stomach reinforced Aizen's words. He was pathetic. His reaction was pathetic, his body was pathetic, and his life was pathetic.

A pathetic infant that needed his father to put him to bed in the clinic, to sit there with him rubbing his back and waiting with him until he fell asleep.

Isshin sat in his clinic office mulling over some medical books. Just what was going on inside his son? That tender spot seemed to show a lump now, a lump that shouldn't be there. Of course had Isshin thought about this being a female patient he might have realised he was feeling a uterus. But, as his son was clearly male, always had been and wasn't likely to change, that conclusion hadn't appeared. That lump of course could only be sinister. The blood test should show if anything needed further investigation.

Isshin rubbed the bridge of his nose and went back to stand at the curtain surrounding Ichigo's bed and watched him sleep. It was not a peaceful sleep, his knees were thrust tightly up to his chest and the fever was as strong as before.

The Present…

Renji grasped Ichigo by the collar and looked at the scratches that ran down the side of his face, he didn't seem to remember going after a Hollow. But Ichigo seemed to turn up with odd injuries every day or so. Renji it seemed had been worried for quite some time about him, just odd little things that didn't add up. He was worried enough to turn up at school himself in uniform. "Who did this to you?"

"Just drop it okay!" Ichigo shoved Renji off and stalked along the corridor. He didn't much feel like having a conversation and had been idling behind everyone else deep in his own thoughts. This wasn't something he was going to talk to Renji about.

"No I want to know what's going on with you." Renji stood blocking his path with that I want to beat you into a pulp if I don't get my way look.

"I said drop it!" Ichigo gritted his teeth and gave his best scowl. Walking through the school corridors was not the place to discuss this.

"Abarai is right Kurosaki; you have not been your self." Ichigo turned his eyes towards that Quincy idiot and scowled deeper for his help.

"Errmm Kurosaki-kun… You know that we'd help, and erm…"

"Inoue you can't help. No one can."

"Look what ever Ichigo, there's no Hollows right now so it's safe to talk." Renji began to steer him towards the class room. But Ichigo wasn't having any of it. He was sick of this pretence of normalcy. Sick of everything in fact. He shoved Renji with force into Chad's bulk. Safe was a word that didn't apply in his life anymore. The trigger word for his burst of emotions.

"You all think you're safe! You all think that you can parade around with your Zanpakutō's and fight him off. Well I'll tell you, you're not safe, not here, not in Seireitei. If Aizen wants you, he'll appear right where he wants. He'll appear in your god damn room AND DO WHAT THE FUCK HE LIKES!"

"Ichigo!" His friends all called out in unison.

"AIZEN RAPES ME! HAPPY NOW!" Suddenly aware that he had shouted that out in the middle of the school and everyone was looking at him. Ichigo looked at Renji with his pain and humiliation so obvious. "Now leave me the fuck alone." He ran from the building shoving everyone out of his way, tears beginning to fall down his face.

Ichigo finally stopped running blindly onwards, finally stumbling to a halt. He fell panting heavily onto to all fours, the tears now falling in sobs and dripping onto the scrubby grass beneath him. He sorely needed someone right now, someone on his side and the void that his mother had left, felt suddenly as large and raw as ever. No one was going to understand what he was feeling. No one was going to be able to help him.

He slumped down on the grass lying on his side, his eyes looking up into the gray blanket of cloud above, but he wasn't looking at anything. His breathing gradually slowed. Eyelids became heavy. Sleep came.

Yesterday…

Aizen stepped back into the rip and into his own room. His smile was wide as he walked into his shower. The conception confirmed. Ichigo, still unaware, was most defiantly expecting. That was such a double reason to celebrate. Aizen had achieved impregnation and enjoyed total submission from the boy.

If he was honest, Aizen had been momentarily surprised by the total lack of response from Ichigo when he stepped into the teen's bedroom. He had been compliant. Accepting of the situation that he was about to have sex. He had jerked himself as instructed, taken Aizen without complaint and needed no injection.

Gin passed Aizen's door and paused. Laughter? Aizen laughing?

Back to the Present…

Ichigo woke feeling comfortable. Was he still lying where he'd run to? His head was resting somewhere soft. He could feel the presence of someone close by, their warmth and hold meant support and caring. Ichigo slowly opened his eyes. The now vibrant sky silhouetting the figure who's lap his head was resting on.

"You idiot." The soft voice spoke and a hand patted his chest as it held him. "You know you always come here when you're upset. You're quite predictable"

"I said leave me alone." He sat pulling out of the hold and rubbing his tear crusted eyes.

"If you wanted to be alone you wouldn't have come to the where your mum died." Tatsuki watched him draw his knees up and look out at the river. "That was some speech back there…The school phoned your dad." His face shot round to look at her.

"I promised him I'd take you home."

Ichigo groaned and put his head on his knees.

Tatsuki let her longest standing friend sit quietly for a moment. "When did it happen?"

"When doesn't it happen?" He replied quietly feeling fresh tears forming, which he tried to quickly wipe away.

"Ichigo, I've seen you cry more times than any one. Since you were four and I beat you in the dojo." She smiled ruffling his hair and he looked to her with a teary nod. "I don't think one more time is going to hurt." She yanked him by his collar into her embrace wrapping her arms around him. Ichigo let his arms unfold and slid them around her waist. All thoughts of being the mighty protector were shoved firmly to the back of his mind. He ached for this, the one living sole who knew him better than himself and he was willing to let her protect him right now. Her head rested on top of his and he felt her warm breath sooth down his neck.

Ichigo woke and yawned. He looked around the pink room with a confused frown.

"Hi. My mum called your dad, you can stay here tonight."

"Tonight?" He sat up and looked out the window at the darkening sky. "I must have slept for hours."

"I guess you're not getting much sleep at home?"

"No, not a lot." He stretched. "I never figured your room would be pink!" He smiled.

"You tell anyone and your dead meat!" She laughed back.

His smile disappeared as he looked intently at her. "Thanks." She moved from the desk chair and sat next to him, nudging his arm with her shoulder.

"What are friends for hey? You know we'd all follow you to the end of eternity."

"In my case that might be closer than anyone knows."

"Ichi!" She looked at him shaking her head. "I won't let that happen to you." He looked at her with a half hearted smile and shrugged. It didn't seem to him that the judo expert would stand a chance against a man like Aizen. But the words were comforting none the less. He laid his head on her shoulder and felt her hand reach around to pat his cheek. "You mean to world to me. I'll do everything I can. I mean that."

Their eyes locked. Their emotions and concerns laid bare for each other to read. So close together unlike ever before, Ichigo admired her beautiful face, as if he was seeing it for the first time. She wasn't at all boyish as he'd thought in the past. The wisps of hair framed her face and accentuated her deep rich chocolate brown eyes. Ichigo lifted his head from her shoulder and rubbed his nose against hers.

Their lips touched gently together and both smiled widely.

"Ichi." She breathed quietly.

"Suki." He whispered back pressing his mouth against hers again. His arms reached around her and drew her closer. Time froze. The innocent pressing of lips and realisation of their intent seemed to hold time still right at that moment. A completeness filled Ichigo, warming him from inside and radiating to every part of his body and soul.

The Following Morning…

"Ichigo?" Tatsuki held his hand firmly as they stood at the school gates. He's halted just outside the gates and stared up at the large imposing building.

"Everyone is going to stare."

"Yeah, because we're holding hands and we're going to suck each others faces off!" she laughed and tugged him gently inside the threshold.

"I hate everyone staring."

"Come on. You don't know how they're going to react when you just stand here. The others are going to be waiting." She watched him scowl and knew what was running through his mind. What was worse, the whole school muttering or his friends, who were no doubt going to want to know all the details? She hadn't got much out of him last night either. The fact she had watched him from the sidelines recently, slowly close up the shutters on his friends. He'd taken the back seat in everything that happened at school. He'd sit at lunch time quietly eating, but not getting drawn into the conversation or falling asleep against the railings.

She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. "You don't have to say anything you don't want to. You can tell everyone to rack-off and I'll back you up. It isn't just Ichigo anymore, its Ichigo and Tatsuki. We're a shit hot team buster! We're the IT team!" She punched his arm and he laughed. "Ready?"

"I guess now you put it like that." She bristled with glee as he bent his head down to place a kiss on her lips.

"Whoa! What the hell are you two doing?" Renji's gruff voice came from behind them. "Another secret you've been hiding?"

"No you dumb arse!" Ichigo slapped Renji around the head.

"Hey, I think I preferred you suicidal." Renji said rubbing the side of his head.

"Kurosaki Ichigo." He turned at the sound of his name and looked at his teacher. "Your father is with the principle."

5 Minutes Later…

Ichigo stood in the lion's den. His father sitting one side of the desk and the principle the other. His chest had restricted to the point he didn't think he could form words. He clenched his hands tightly beside him.

"And?" The principle said in a demanding tone.

"You think I'm going to say anything here? Now?" He looked at his dad.

"Young man, you were heard shouting in the school hallway and then proceeded to run out of the school. I think that an explanation is required."

"Then you know why I ran out. I don't need to explain anything."

"Ichigo." He dad stood and pulled another chair forward and tapped the seat.

"No, why are you here? Why are you her now dad?"

"Because when I called to enquire, your father had not seen you. Your attendance at best could be described at inadequate."

"If my son is having problems, I think I should be the one to sort it out." Isshin interrupted any further lectures from the principle and looked to Ichigo who sat suddenly looking decidedly green. "You alright?"

Ichigo looked at his father wide eyes and stood panicked. His hand flew to his mouth and he ran forward to the waste paper basket and heaved his guts inside it.

"Mr Kurosaki. I would appreciate you taking your son home again." He grimaced as he spoke loudly over the sound of retching. He stood avoiding eye contact with the goo that seemed to have missed his bin and stood by the open window where the air was less pungent. "Now, Mr. Kurosaki if you don't mind."

One Week Later…

Karin stood at the bathroom door banging loudly enough to wake the dead.

"Ichigo, I've got to get ready for school! Are you coming out?"

"Karin, my sweet hearted little girl, let daddy, get that door for you!" He stood food poised to kick the door. Karin looked at her father with a look of disgust, firstly she didn't really want to see her brother half naked and secondly that was definitely the sound of puking coming from the bathroom.

"Dad? Why's he still sick?" That concerned voice didn't sound like Karin and Isshin put his leg down and frowned.

"Ichigo." The manly knock behind him could only be his father. Ichigo knelt beside the toilet, knowing that he wasn't quite done yet. "Come out, I want to take you to the clinic."

"Minute." Ichigo managed to say, before he retched again, hopefully for the last time.

Hey bust-a-guts! Ichigo groaned as he opened his eyes in the blue cityscape of his inner world. That irritating presence of his Hollow appeared only a hairs breath in front of him.

'Not right now bastard.' Ichigo grabbed him roughly by the collar.

Look you shit bag! Its freezing cold here, can you feel it? Get your arse out that door before my knackers freeze and that kid of yours is born. The Hollow just seemed to stand there with his hands in his pockets and that stupid grin on his face.

'Hahaha. Yeah. Yeah. Will you shut up with the frigging kid jokes. I'm a guy, what part of I can't get pregnant don't you understand?' Ichigo pushed the Hollow away and made to leave.

The part that says you dumb shit have you forgotten what Aizen did to you? Get that sorry excuse of a backside to the clinic. Your old man will tell you.

Ichigo paused. God why did that sound so plausible? 'Will you shut up and leave me alone if I go?'

Sure. You know me, ever obedient. The shrug and nonchalant posture shouted of pure sarcasm and Ichigo shook his head.

'Yeah right.'

Ichigo, I think its time you told your father what has been happening. The fluttering of the tatty edged robes caught Ichigo's eyes and he turned to see Old Man Zangetsu standing on his perch.

'Don't go there, we spoke about this already.'

So you want Aizen to carry on visiting?

Course he does, he loves it. See the way he frigging cums every time. Yeah Ichigo, you love Aizen's visits don't you!

'Don't you fucking dare say that to me!' Ichigo yelled at the smirking face before him.

Or what? Come on, the man has you licked. He has you pissing in your pants with fear. Tell your dad or get some balls and fight the man!