A/N: I just finished the Bounto story arc. Shortly after they arrived in soul society this story jumped up and bit me, because of Ririn's jealous behavior. There will not be pedophilia in this story. Remember she is a Modified soul after all and therefore not limited to a single body that ages like normal. It surprises me that someone else hasn't done a story like this one before. Here's to blazing new trails I suppose.

Ichigo came in through his window, and flopped onto the bed next to his currently empty body. He knew what would come as soon as he returned to it. He would feel weak and sick from exhaustion and improper diet. Though the other pain he felt would make them seem like a blessing.

It had only been three week since Renji and Rukia had started seeing each other, but it was already taking it's toll. Those close to him were beginning to worry. Ishida, Inoue, and Chad at least knew why, but his father, sisters, and others just knew that he was looking thin and behaving oddly. He was going to be graduating this year, and his father had decided to exchange the routine ambushes for lectures about his future.

Even his room was beginning to speak of his malady. It was usually neat enough. Indeed most would assume overly neat for a young man. Now however, one of his school uniforms was draped over his desk and it's chair. Books were left face down holding the reader's place, somewhere within the first ten or twenty pages, on any flat surface that was available.

Even though his sisters had been home when he left he didn't have to put Kon in control of his body. They had just been giving him space not knowing what had happened to leave him so depressed.

Ichigo barely leaned up so he could look around for Kon. Ichigo didn't see him in the room so he figured that he must be hiding out elsewhere in the house.

'Crazy little guy took the news about as well as I did,' Ichigo thought to himself. He let himself have one dark quiet laugh before dropping back.

He rolled over and returned to his body. The sudden surge of sensations was far worse than what he had been expecting. He got up to close the window because the cold air coming in from outside was making everything that much worse.

"Damn, why do I even bother crawling back into my body anymore?"

"I don't know myself. You would think you're mood was bringing more Hollows here. That was the third Hollow in as many days."

Ririn's voice had come from just outside the door. Ichigo turned and saw the door open a crack. She entered with a small plate of food. She was in her gigai instead of the stuffed animal she usually stayed in.

"If it's my mood then these Hollows like to rotten food." Ichigo said with a black smile as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Cheer up you," She chirped. "I made you a bite to eat. Your family is out for the night. They tried to invite you along. Kon took control of your body and told them you weren't feeling well."

"Thanks, but I'm not really hungry. Where is Kon anyway?"

"He's back in his doll, sulking in a corner downstairs. Come on you have to eat something." She said sitting down beside Ichigo and forcing the tray of food into his lap.

"I really just can't bring myself to eat anything."

"Eat. I'm worried about you," Ririn leaned into Ichigo and did her best to put her arm around him. "I know you're upset about Rukia, but you can't just lay down and starve to death."

Ichigo sighed and put his hand on Ririn's head, ruffling her hair a little. She turned her head slightly, hiding her face. She didn't want Ichigo to see her irritation, because she couldn't peg why it ruffled her feathers.

"I know. It's just a big adjustment. Since I met her three years ago I knew I loved her and I thought she loved me. I just always believed that it would all work out. I knew Renji loved her too. I just couldn't imagine things turning out this way."

"You've got friends, and we're with you all the way," Ririn returned with a smile.

"I'm glad. I don't want any bad blood though. I want to be happy for them both they're still my friends and I still want them to be happy. I just have to adjust is all." Ichigo smiled, but Ririn could see that it didn't reach his eyes.

She leaned up and kissed his cheek. It made her smile. It was just as comfortable to her as all the times she had ridden through hell and back again on his shoulder.

"Now eat." She demanded

"Alright"

Ichigo settled in and picked at the food. After a few bites he really started to feel hungry and ate it all. There were only a few bites left when the representative badge on his belt began to beep.

"Again, already?" Frustration was apparent in his voice.

"I'll help you with this one. We'll make quick work of it and get you back with plenty of time to relax afterward."

"Alright, sounds good."

Ichigo quickly flipped off the lights and then moved to stand at the end of his bed once again. He touched the emblem to his chest allowing his physical body to fall back on to the sheets in the semblance of sleep.

Ririn opened the window and the two climbed out. Leaping to the rooftops they quickly made their way to the location of the disturbance.

As the two of them drew near they began to hear the sounds of fighting. Another Shinigami had beaten them to the Hollow. Ichigo picked up speed just in case the other Reaper needed help.

The fight was in a parking lot behind a corner convenience store. The creature was a great snake-like beast it's mask a thing of sharp protrusions. The mask made it a sinister parody of a Chinese dragon. Across the lot from the beast slithered it's skeletal kin, a man with a familiar shock of red hair holding it's tale.

Realizing their assistance wasn't needed, Ichigo and Ririn stood off to watch the fight. The two slithering creatures circled striking seemingly at random. Each pass a blow would be struck, high or low, the only consistent fact was that their bodies were beginning to intertwine. The two seemed to be trying to tie themselves into a knot.

The fight was rapidly speeding to an inevitable close. There was obviously no need for Renji to use his Bankai. Ririn could see that Ichigo wanted to leave, but at the same time felt obligated to stay.

Just as it seemed Ichigo was about to give into his desire, the fight reached it's crescendo. The beast and the skeletal zanpakto lunged at each other and in the same motion constricted. They tightened into a standing braid and Zabimaru's fangs found the Hollow's throat, killing it.

The hollow burst, leaving the material plane, and Zabimaru returned to it's normal state. Renji shouldered the blade. He surveyed the parking lot and his eyes fell upon the pair of arrivals. Renji grinned apparently enjoying some private joke.

"You're getting slower with age Ichigo," Renji shouted with a snide grin.

From Ririn's perspective the little goad seemed like old times between the two of them. Ichigo and Renji Had always squabbled like brothers before, but now Ichigo barely looked at him. Instead of launching back he just turned his head with a sulky half sigh.

"Yeah maybe I am. I'll have to train a little bit harder." His voice was defensive, and his eyes were filled with powerless anger.

Renji's shoulders drooped a little and his grin washed away in the face of Ichigo's reaction. For a second it seemed he was trying to think of something to say that could fix the problem, but then he turned away.

"Anyways, jobs done. Nothing to see here. You two take care and run along home."

Renji began walking away. Ichigo's face hardened and his hand tensed into a fist for just an instant before he regained control. Then he too turned letting out a slight growl and stomped away.

They returned to Ichigo's house in silence. Ichigo seemed to get angrier with every step, but continued to focus all of the anger inward. His mood seemed as though it were drawing the shadows closer.

Ririn watched him and alternated between worrying about his well being, and contemplating the similarity between Ichigo's actions and some of her own in times past. The alternating trains of thought drained all of the energy from her, and she was relieved when the house entered their line of sight.