Epilogue: The Protector's Choice

"Have you heard from Tony?" Natasha asked as she wandered through the area where Steve was looking over some readouts.

Steve frowned looking up and shook his head. "Actually, no."

Natasha frowned. "Isn't that a bit odd, I mean, he should have at least checked in recently, right?" she asked.

They'd requested that Tony check in with them at least once a week after the Ultron incident. Usually, he didn't do it every week, but he did check in on them now and then, claiming he didn't want them showing up at his tower unexpectedly. Since they'd moved Avengers operations out of the tower it hadn't really come up that often, but they worried about Tony. He frowned and looked over at Vision where he stood talking to Wanda. The last couple months he'd noted that they had become rather…close. He sighed. He didn't really like the idea of just showing up to see Tony out of the blue, but he worried incessantly about him after what had happened recently.

"Alright, I'll head out in the quinjet and make sure he's okay," he said, nodding to her as he excused himself.

Before long he found himself standing outside the house in California he'd taken to staying at lately. It was secluded and away from everything and it didn't surprise Steve that he'd stay there. He pressed the bell and knocked on the heavy, wooden door. There was an extremely long pause, and Steve was about to leave when he heard a crash inside the house followed by a really loud thump. Steve went into soldier mode easily and used his shoulder to burst through the doorway, heading toward the kitchen where he'd heard the noise.

"Let me go, dammit, stop that…" he heard Tony's voice and frowned. He had someone at his house? That was unusual. "Goddammit, I said to stop that, you brat!" he said and he heard something else bounce followed by a sound that he recognized. No, it couldn't be. Surely, Tony would have told them if he'd found him. Surely…

He stepped around the corner and he stopped and stared. "Tony?" he said out loud.

Tony's head jerked around and he stared open mouthed at Steve from a decidedly awkward looking position sitting on the kitchen island, feet dangling a good thee feet off the ground, with Ichigo standing between his legs holding him as it appeared Tony was trying to escape his grip. Both of them looked disheveled, and a platter had shattered on the floor into a million pieces that Ichigo was standing in the middle of.

"Steve…um…hi…"Tony stammered, trying to pull away and get off the counter.

"Anthony, stay put, you're going to cut your feet up!" Ichigo snapped, his attention snapping back to the squirming Tony, and now Steve could see easily what was going on.

Tony was barefoot, and there were a few cuts on his feet, so it appeared he'd knocked off the platter or dropped it. Ichigo had put him up on the counter to keep him out of the glass. Tony, however, was being Tony and being annoyed at being manhandled even if it was to keep him from getting cut. He glared daggers at Ichigo and crossed his arms over his chest in a huff.

Ichigo turned to look at Steve and smiled. "Hey Steve, how's it been? Long time no see."

There wasn't any venom to Ichigo's voice at all, but Steve felt the overwhelming crash of guilt slam into him. "Ichigo, what…how…we tried to find you…where were you?" he asked, quite frankly shocked into silence.

Tony pulled his feet up to sit criss crossed and sighed exasperatedly as Ichigo picked up the broom and a dustpan and started sweeping up the glass. As he did so, he looked at Steve.

"Well, Hydra wanted the regeneration," he said as he dumped the glass in the trashcan. "So I spent most of my time with them being cut open and having parts cut off and removed so they could figure out how I regenerated so rapidly," he added, putting the broom back into the closet then turned and grabbing Tony under the arms and setting him down on his feet again. "Then I don't know how, I got out, wandered around France, got picked up and doped up by well-meaning humans who thought I was catatonic, then Tony found me and brought me back. We've been hiding out here for the last couple weeks, just in case anyone's looking for me."

Steve stared for a long moment at him. He looked exactly the same, no sign of any of the experiments they had done on him, of course. His body regenerated any damage. Tony had gone back into the kitchen to get coffee and brought a cup out for himself and handed Steve a cup. He didn't say anything at all to Steve though, simply ducked into the dining room and sat down with his coffee and waited for the two others to come sit.

"I…I'm glad you're back, in one piece," Steve said, sitting down across from Tony, and still finding that he wasn't talking to him directly, instead sipping his coffee.

Ichigo at down between him and Tony on the other side and nodded. "Well, one piece is relative," he said with a sigh. "If it weren't for Tony, I wouldn't have gotten back to reality. It was…difficult."

Steve felt awkward as though he were interfering in their lives. "Um, well, I just…I hadn't heard from Tony and we've been checking in on each other since the Ultron incident…" he said, sipping his own coffee.

"Got a bit busy, rescuing Ichigo from France, sorry I didn't call," Tony said, not really looking at Steve directly. "But as you can see, we're doing okay now."

Steve nodded. "Um, is there anything you need? I mean, if there's anything you can tell us about the group that held you, I can try and find them."

Ichigo shook his head. "No, we're fine. Tony and I are just going to lay low for a bit, take some time off, you know."

Steve glanced at Tony who still looked bothered by something, and Steve knew it was probably still the fact that they hadn't found Ichigo sooner. Especially now knowing that Hydra had put him through a quite literal hell. He cleared his throat. "Um, okay, well, I'll head back and let the team know that you're okay, they were getting a bit worried. Sorry about the door, I just heard the plate shatter and was afraid something was wrong."

Tony nodded. "Don't worry about it, Steve. I'll contact you if we need anything."

Steve got up, pausing to nod at both Ichigo and then left quietly.

Ichigo turned and smirked at Tony. "Well, I want to resume what we were starting in the kitchen."

Tony looked over his cup. "What?"

Before he could think about it, Ichigo had flashed and snatched him up, sitting him back on the confounded counter again, this time stripping his shirt off before he grabbed Tony's ass and pulled him to the edge to wrap both Tony's legs around him. Tony groaned as his crotch ground into Ichigo's body.

"What?" Ichigo said, beginning to bite at Tony's neck. "I believe I said that you were adorable and that I was going to bend you over this countertop and fuck you until you were screaming for mercy."

"Ah, dammit, Ichigo," Tony muttered, feeling all resistance melting away. "And…I said…to stop that…and you knocked off the platter…"

"Hm, Ichigo said easily picking Tony up and flipping him over on his stomach with his legs dangling off the counter.

Tony gasped and gripped the opposite edge with both hands, afraid that he was going to fall, quite irrationally, because Ichigo was holding him up. He squirmed as Ichigo used his free hand to slide the sweats he was wearing off him and then felt him lean over and lick a long stripe down his spine to the swell of his buttocks. Tony wasn't sure what he was going to do but he was hard at the moment. However, he was still shocked into gasping when Ichigo moved his hands to hold his hips to keep him in place as slid his tongue down and down further until he pressed it into his entrance.

"Ah, what…oh fuck," Tony moaned as Ichigo used his tongue in ways Tony never realized it could be used there. "I'm going…going…ah, shit," he muttered as he felt himself tip over the edge just from Ichigo's tongue. He felt Ichigo laugh softly against his skin as he took a moment and sucked a deep biting mark on his ass.

"Ow, ow!" Tony said, squirming again as he felt his teeth against his skin.

"Hush, be still," Ichigo said, standing now and staring at the slightly red mark on Tony's ass. He tilted his head to the side and smoothed one palm over the mark then pulled back and slapped him.

"Ah!" Tony gasped, turning back and glaring at him. "What the hell?"

Ichigo smirked, making eye contact with him as he slapped him again. Every bit of blood seemed to be flushing into Tony's face and his cock at the same time. Ichigo blinked, slapping his ass hard a few more times until it was turning bright red and Tony was whimpering and moaning. Ichigo grinned as he kneeled down and began licking the heated flesh and began to tongue his entrance again. Tony had never had someone do that but he…liked it. Ichigo stood up and reached over Tony and grabbed one of the wooden spoons with a thick rubber grip from the tool crock and snapped it on the counter by Tony's hands.

"You're naughty, aren't you Tony?" Ichigo muttered, steadying Tony with one hand while he used the other to rub circles on Tony's already reddened ass.

"No, no," Tony muttered but the anticipation was going to kill him.

"Hm, you were flirting with Rogers-taichou," he said, pulling back and popping him lightly with the spoon.

Tony shook his head, jumping with the spoon hit him. "Nuh-uh…I wasn't…I…"

"I won't spank you if you don't give me a reason, naughty Tony," Ichigo said, gently swirling circles with the spoon on his ass. "I mean, why would I spank a good boy? Are you a bad boy or a good boy Tony? Seems to me you're pretty naughty, coming with my tongue up your ass. That's pretty dirty, isn't it? Dirty, naughty Tony."

Tony moaned without a second thought and knew that his ass was going to regret this choice. "I'm so dirty, so naughty," he said, letting out a low whine as he felt Ichigo probing his entrance with the thick rubber handle of the spoon.

"You are?" Ichigo teased, pressing the rubber handle gently into his opening. "Dirty thing, you like things in you don't you? My tongue, my cock, my fingers, and now look at you, getting excited because I'm fucking you with a spoon…what else do you want inside you Tony?" he asked, pushing the handle inside him slowly and pulling it back until he heard the whimper he was looking for.

"Ah, ah, anything, anything you want," he whined, gripping the counter hard enough to whiten his knuckles. Ichigo was going to be the death of him at this rate.

Without warning he felt the world tip and swirl and he was slung over Ichigo's shoulder easily. One head spinning minute later he was on his back in the bed, looking up at the devilish look that had crossed Ichigo's face as he leaned down and began sucking on his throat and started fingering him hard until Tony found himself teetering on the edge of coming again.

"No, bad boy," Ichigo breathed on Tony's throat, and gripped his cock at the base to stave off his orgasm. "You can't come until I say so, understand, little slut?" he muttered.

Strangely enough, the experiment was going well in Ichigo's mind. Every time he degraded or humiliated him, Tony's cock got harder. Seemed he liked being treated like this, he thought. He'd thought so, after he'd accidently made a comment about him being a little bit of a slut for him, and Tony had flushed immediately and looked away. So, he'd decided to test it. And the more he did, the more debauched Tony got. He felt the steadily leaking precum dripping over his hand where he held off his orgasm. He smiled, reaching over to the drawer and pulling out a little thing he'd picked up a few days ago.

Tony arched a bit was Ichigo slid the tight cockring down over his straining prick. Ichigo grinned and saw Tony look down and pant. It was tight and it hurt but it was like nothing else as he felt Ichigo's fingers go back to work on him, then he felt the harder spoon handle.

"I'm going to fill your slutty little ass with so many things, Tony. I'm going to fuck you with things you can't imagine, do you understand? I'm going to make you squirm and beg me to let you cum, and I'm going use so many things on you to make you cry and whimper and make all those lovely little noises," he whispered against his neck. "I'm going to spank your slutty ass until it is as red as the tip of your dripping cock, then I'm going to finger and tongue your ass until you can't stand it anymore. Then I'll make sure you can't cum until I'm done with you, and fucked myself into exhaustion and my cum is dripping down your legs like you've pissed yourself," he said, smirking and smiling as the more he spoke, the more worked up Tony got.

Tony had no idea why something so terrible was affecting him like this. Who in their right mind gets turned on by someone saying such…sexy things… He gave up on it. It turned him on more than anything he'd ever known and he whimpered as he strained against the ring and Ichigo fucked him thoroughly with the spoon he had.

"Please, fuck…do it…" he muttered as Ichigo smiled against Tony's heated skin. "Do it…beat me, fuck me, shame me…do it…do it…" he groaned, arching his back as Ichigo yanked out the spoon and slid up between his legs and slammed into him, filling him and fucking him harder than he had before.

Ichigo felt himself slide over the edge and came hard into him. He paused, leaning over him, feeling Tony's cock throbbing against his stomach, still leaking a steady stream of fluid. It didn't take but a moment for him to harden inside him again and he flipped him to his stomach. He pulled Tony's hips up and fucking him harder from behind. He felt Tony's insides quivering and he reached around and slid the cockring off Tony and almost immediately, Tony let out a long, low moan. Ichigo pumped hard into him as he felt Tony's body clench impossibly hard down on him, bringing him across in what was perhaps, the most powerful orgasm he'd ever experienced.

Both Tony and Ichigo collapsed together in a heap as soon as the pleasure crested. Ichigo pulled Tony close to him, panting as he pulled the covers over them.

"Tony, baby, I love you so much, you're amazing, so amazing," Ichigo said, rubbing his hands over Tony's damp head.

Tony was exhausted and nodded, nuzzling into Ichigo's arms. "Um, love you too, Ichigo, so much," he muttered, sliding into a deep sleep beside him.

-oooooo-OOOOOOO-oooooo-

Ichigo was sitting alone when he came face to face with his choice. Tony was still sleeping, spread out on the bed, sheets entangled in his legs. Ichigo yawned and stood up and felt something he hadn't felt since he showed up in this world. Reaitsu.

He turned and saw a black rip opening in the sky near him. Nothing emerged, he was sure that nothing could come through a portal like that without turning into what he was, but he heard a voice calling his name. He moved toward it and placed his hand against the blackness that shimmered there.

"Ichigo!" came his father's voice. "Are you there?"

"I am, Pop," he said, softly, smiling to hear from his old man again.

There was a long pause. "We've been trying to find you for a long time, son, since you disappeared. Mayuri and Urahara have no idea how something like this could have happened. They've never seen anything like it. We're trying to figure out how to bring you back."

"I don't think you can, Pop. My body altered to fit this world. Going back might destroy it," he said thoughtfully, remembering the work that Bruce had done on it.

"We know, but Mayuri has a theory, but it will be risky, so…son…don't do it. The chances it will work are not the risk that you will be obliterated in the process of coming back," Isshin said, obviously being listened to and trying not to let whoever else was there hear him.

"Are you and the girls doing well?" he asked, thinking.

"Yeah, my power has returned, and Karin is training with Urahara. We're fine, my son," he said.

"So, this theory, it might destroy me, huh? I could stay here, Pop. Its fine."

Another long pause. "Son, are you sure?" Isshin said and Ichigo could hear the pain in his voice.

"Tell Mayuri and Urahara to figure out a way for me to communicate with you easily, or send messages across, I don't know, but pop, I'm okay here. I…I followed the red string of fate and I found someone that needs me a lot more than I'm needed there," he said, swallowing thickly.

"Son, you'll never change, no matter what universe you're in. Always protecting those that need it and putting yourself in danger. But you found someone?" Isshin's voice was wavering a bit as the link between the worlds began to strain.

"His name is Tony, Pop, and he's this hero in this universe, he's this genius that built a mechanical suit, but he's vulnerable in other ways, and he's given me purpose and more," Ichigo said, hoping his Pop wasn't too surprised by his revelation he was with another man.

"Leave it to my son to go across worlds and still protect someone that needs it…" his father said, the rip in sky wavering as the connection became less stable.

"I love you, pop, tell Karin and Yuzu that I love them. And tell them all…I'm happy."

"I love you too, son. I'll…miss….you," came the reply as the rift closed in on itself.

He jumped as he felt Tony grab his hand. He turned to see that he'd come out, wrapped up in one of the bedsheets, hair mussed and barefoot, onto the beach to find out where Ichigo had gone. Tony had felt his heart nearly freeze when he saw that Ichigo was talking to someone from his world. He was sure he'd go back. Why would he stay here just because of him?

"I thought…I thought you'd try to go home," he said, softly. "After everything that happened here…and…" Tony said, not looking at him.

Ichigo smiled and turned, cupping Tony's face with both hands and kissed him lightly. "No, Tony, I'm already home."

AN: This was a good spot to pause, temporarily, as there are unresolved conflicts, of course. I can't imagine me leaving this alone for too long, but I felt this particular story arc had concluded.

Please stay tuned as I may revisit and add chapters, or have a sequel with enough demand.