For those who wanted a happy ending for At Least He Had Their Friendship. :) Sorry for taking so long to post it. I had some parts that I absolutely hates and it took forever to fix them.

This is still kind of cannon. Just with Soulmates.

For anyone wondering, only those in Soul Society knows about soulmates because its a literal mark on the soul. Thus, Ichigo and any living people wouldn't know about them. I'm currently working on a side story based in this AU that basically explains it all along with consequences of what happens when your soulmate dies. I'm trying to make it as close to cannon as possible and its been a fun challenge. :)

Eventually, protecting his soulmate's family and friends included his soulmate's son. Just like her, Toushiro could never hate the boy. Instead, he found himself protecting him, teaching him, and helping him. Toushiro would have never guessed that something good would come out of losing his soulmate, but then this brown eyed, joyful little child came hurling into his office and his life like his dad did so long ago.

Toushiro couldn't help but love him. This little boy had slipped through his walls like they were water instead of harsh ice, and soon the captain was threatening his soulmate with castration if he ever came to Soul Society without the wonderful youth. The child who was so kind, so bright, so brilliant. The boy became just as much his son as his parents', earning the nickname "hatchling" from both the ice captain and his dragon zanpakuto. Toushiro was determined to watch him flourish even further than anyone could imagine. He was going to watch this child, his hatchling, soar or die trying.

Toushiro acquired a ticket for his hatchling, the same one Head Captain Kyoraku had given to his soulmate's living friends, so that the child could come and go as he pleased. When his hatchling started spending the night, Toushiro was more than happy to house him, giving the child his own room and decorating it anyway the little one wanted. Matsumoto was all too willing to go shopping and spoil the boy, her captain's pseudo child, even using some of her own money rather than just her captain's or the division funding. Toushiro's division members joined in after seeing their captain's adoration for his hatchling. They adopted the boy as an honorary member and it was not strange to see them guiding him, playing games with him, and answering his seemingly endless questions.

Toushiro's protectiveness of his hatchling gained him a new nickname in his division, one spoken in soft whispers and fond joking, one that shocks other squads if ever spoken outside the division's walls due to his icy and cold reputation. In a way, the child had made the Division Ten members closer. Almost to the point where the squad was more like a family than a bunch of co-workers. Each member began to be a playful or worrying aunt or uncle to the hatchling. Each began to help one another regardless of rank and experience. Each began to feel safe in their division, safe to live, to laugh, to learn and to grow. Each began to reach heights they never would have achieved on their own. All the while, the overprotective dragon wielder watched over them, squad members and hatchling alike; leading them, protecting them, and guiding them all with his sharp critical mind, icy turquoise gaze and not-so-frozen heart.

Toushiro was surprised to be woken up one night by the child in absolute devastation. When he found out his hatching's parents were fighting, loud and angry, in the range of the youth, he didn't even think to be despicably hopeful. He was an unforgiving blizzard arriving at their doorstep, furious and unrelenting, having left the now sleeping eight year old with his surprisingly sober Lieutenant. No child should have to be witness to fighting that reduces his normally happy hatchling to the point of sobbing. He especially should not be witnessing it from family, from those who were supposed to support him, guide him and be a strong pillar for him to lean on. He and his soulmate were testaments of what happens when a child sees too much too young and his dragon zanpakuto is just as unforgiving as he of making their hatchling grow up too fast.

After tearing into the two of them, Toushiro left the residence with promises and assurances of peace around his hatchling as well as the child's presence for the next couple days while his soulmate and his wife talk things out. His soulmate's protectiveness of his family had been working against him. Terrified at the thought of losing them to even a simple mugger was driving a wedge between the couple. His wife was too passive, too kind to cause harm to others. She had been attacked while his soulmate was at work. Robbers. They only stole items from the house, but the knife had drawn blood from her neck and his soulmate couldn't let it happen again.

The overprotective idiot started to keep tabs on his wife and was determined to never let her be alone, to never be undefended. Constant phone calls and text messages were putting her in a box, one she felt she couldn't escape. Add on their child's growing Shinigami powers and constant adventures to Soul Society, and his soulmate's wife felt more than trapped. She felt she had to choose between wanting to have a normal life without interference from the world of the dead and being dragged back into the chaos of the other worlds, of fighting, of terror and of death. Back to the time of being targets of kidnappings and threats, of being forced to become weapons in a war they did not start, of being made to watch as her family tears itself apart to become stronger, to become better...

To be broken again.

She remembers her husband's haunting cries when he lost his powers to the other substitute soul reaper, she remembers her husband's death at the hands of the espada. She remembers every injury and every scream, every bruise and every tear. She remembers…

And she doesn't want to live that life again.

When it was discovered that her son was the next Soul King, it seemed like the decision had been made for her.

Toushiro was surprised to be woken up one night by his soulmate in absolute devastation. His sleeping child in his arms, asking for refuge, asking to be away from prying eyes and from his friends' trigger-happy, well-meaning helpfulness. To escape from the realities of life, even if for one night.

Toushiro opened his door to the two and welcomed them into his home, and unconsciously deeper into his heart. For the next few months, he helped them, guided them, and protected them, just as he always had. Ever since he first laid eyes on the brown eyed, joyful little child. Ever since his moronic soulmate came storming into Soul Society with two humans, a quincy and a cat. Ever since his new soulmark appeared opposite the arm that held his old one, his failed happy ever after.

Because these two people meant the world to him: his soulmate, the amazing, selfless idiot; and his hatchling, the wonderful and joyful child.

Maybe he starts to believe in soulmates, in love and in happy ever afters.

Maybe he starts to understand why his Lieutenant waited for so long, loved for so long, and believed for so long.

And maybe, just maybe, he starts to believe he deserves a happy ending too.

At least he had their friendship.