Title: After the War

Rating: T (Rated to be safe…I think…)

Summary: Technically...defeating Aizen was supposed to be a happy ending. Well, it is...but some people (or Hollow) can get bored. IchiHichi. Mild language. I may take the rating up...if later chapters get there...summary bad…story good…I hope.

Disclaimer: I…don't….own…cries

AN: I suck at titles…and summaries…but hopefully people like the story enough not to kill me. ...(Starts working on a LARGE defense fortress)... As I said…hopefully…FIRST TIME!!

ENJOY!

It was after the war. Aizen was dead; Shinigami won, blah, blah, blah… Everyone was happy. Soul Society was re-building, humans were getting back to their normal lives, and everyone was moving on.

Who cares?!

Hichigo was bored! No war meant no fighting. No fighting meant that he wasn't needed. Being not needed…well fuck that's just not his style. He gave up threatening his King, in hopes of him coming to entertain him, back at the point where he couldn't think of anything else to threaten…

And Hichigo without something to threaten or maim… just isn't right. He was bored to the point of tears! Not that he'd cry… unless his King would maybe get his ass in here with a few tears.

NO! No, no, no, no, NO! BAD SHIROSAKI! Hollow do NOT cry!!

…Shows how pathetically bored he is…huh?

At the moment he was staring at the messed up sky and the messed up clouds of his King's inner world. Laying on the messed up, sideways skyscrapers and pretty much thinking about how messed up everything really is.

Doing a good job of it, huh?

He could feel his King smile, probably at one of the messed up jokes that one of his messed up friends made. It's been so fucking boring in the King's inner world. Not even the occasional rain that he could yell at his King for. His King probably forgot him.

And that was really messed up.

I mean, come on. If the only one, who knows you exist, forgot about you, you'd be mad too, right? Yeah, I thought so.

Hichigo has been being good, even if it was against his will. His King should at least give him a mental pat on the back or something. Seriously, he's going to die of boredom if his King doesn't get his ass in here and AKNOLEGE him!!

Wait… his King wanted him dead…

Well fuck…

He really is going to die…heh…heh heh….heh heh heh….

Well that changed everything. Is he really just going to sit here and wait until he dies? Fuck that. The only thing worse then being the obedient little Horse his King wants him to be, is sitting here dying over it. NO FUCKING WAY!!

So…that's how he made up his mind. Tonight, when his King is alone, he'll make his opinion known. Forcefully or not.

(AN: Hehehe, Shiro is either COMPLETELY insane, or has the mind of a four year old with a naughty mouth. P)

Tatsuki, Orihime, Renji, Rukia, Keigo and Mizuiro were all sitting with Ichigo on the roof of their school, eating lunch with the short break they had before getting back to class. Ichigo, who already finished the lunch that Yuzu packed for him, was leaning against the railings, staring up at the clouds. It's been so peaceful. He'd doubt that he's ever going to give in and fight hollow again. He forgot what it was like, not having to run into a life-or-death fight every couple of minutes.

He really enjoyed it. As soon as the war ended, it's as if everything he had to fight went along with it. No Hollow popping up, no Shinigami after his head, no friends kidnapped. Life was good. He engaged in some half-hearted conversation with his friends, too relaxed to really listen.

The bell rang, and they all went back to class. Except Renji who acted as a regular high school drop out. Not that it didn't fit him. They'd fight too much if he went to class anyway.

(AN: Poor Renji. I have a habit of picking on him. I love him, though!)

Class went on, and with the Hollow threat gone, Ichigo was actually getting good grades again. The teacher was left to wonder how he did it, and he was left to stare off into space while the lesson went on. At the end, everyone got up and left. Ichigo still felt it weird to not have detention, after all the times he left class, because of those damn Hollow.

Life was good.

They all walked home, parting ways somewhere down the road, until it was only Ichigo, Orihime, Rukia (who was staying at Orihime's) and Renji (who was staying at Ichigo's). Again, half-hearted conversation, until Rukia brought up an unwanted subject.

(AN: Rukia moved because he was tired of dealing with Kon. Renji, because he was tired of being called a freeloader.)

"Ichigo, I've been wondering something for a while."

"Yeah, what is it?"

"What exactly did you do with that Hollow inside you?" Ichigo, who had tried so desperately to forget about that nightmare point in his life, froze mid-step and his eyes widened.

"You did do something about him, right?"

"Uh…"

"Ichigo, please don't tell me that he's still there!"

"Well I…..uh….he just kinda…"

"Kinda what? Ichigo just spit it out!" Renji and Rukia were glaring at him, while Orihime was looking worried behind them.

"Kinda…disappeared…I think…" I hope was left unsaid.

"You think…You THINK?!" Renji grabbed the collar of his shirt and lifted him in the air. "What do you mean 'you think'?"

"Ichigo, are you saying it might still be there?" Ichigo, who was glaring at Renji, now looked over at Rukia.

"He shut up a couple weeks out of the war. Hasn't done anything, or said anything for that matter. I think with all the fighting gone, he didn't have much of a purpose anymore. I think he disappeared."

"How can you be sure?" Ichigo glared at Renji.

"Can you maybe put me down?" Renji glared back, but complied and let Ichigo go. "I can't be sure, but he's shut up, so that's what I'm thinking. If he starts up again, I'll be sure to let you know. Can I get back home now?"

"Whatever. Sorry Ichigo, but I'm not going to take my chances. I'm going to stay at Urahara's for now. I'll come back once you've figured this thing out." Ichigo smirked at Renji.

"All the more reason for me not to 'figure it out'." Renji glared and was about to comment back, before Rukia spoke up.

"We're just concerned for you, Ichigo. Can you please try and find out? We don't want to worry about this for long." Ichigo sighed.

"Alright, I'll ask Zangetsu tonight or something." After dinner and a nap. I don't know why I'm so tired…

"Alright, good luck then. We'll see you tomorrow, Ichigo." All three friends said their goodbyes and went their own way.

And somewhere in the back of Ichigo's mind, Hichigo was laughing, slowly lulling his King to sleep.

Ichigo yawned. Dinner was over, earlier then expected, which he was glad for. He could barely keep himself awake. He lay down on his bed, not even bothering with homework, and quickly fell asleep. But not before feeling a sickening feeling in his stomach, and a slightly light-headed.

His King opened his eyes, rubbing his head and disbelievingly taking in his surroundings. Hichigo almost laughed at the sight, before mentally smacking himself. He was here to convince King that he'd do anything to get out, or at least get some recognition once in a while, not to scare him to death.

With that in mind, he took a deep breath. This was going to be hard.

"Hey King." Short, sweet and simple, right? Apparently his King didn't think so. He jumped a hundred and ten feet back. (Or, he would have, if he didn't bump into a wall a couple feet back.)

"What the HELL?!"

Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh.

"That's not nice, King. Ya can at least say hi back."

Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh.

His King flinched. Hichigo realized why, and held up his hands, to show that Zangetsu wasn't with him.

"I didn't call ya ta fight, my King. Jus' ta talk. Will ya listen?" Ichigo immediately took the defensive, out of habit.

"Why should I?" Hichigo almost scowled. Almost.

"'Tis a good question. But this loyal servant got somethin' important ta say. So how 'bout, you repay me fer bein' good all this time, and jus' listen ta me?" His King looked thoughtful, before tensing again.

"Why exactly were you…uh…'being good'? Last time I checked, you never listened to a word I said."This time, he couldn't help but scowl.

"Well, ya haven't checked on me in a while, now have ya? And this gets us to the topic of my conversation."

"Wait a minute! Who said I was going to listen?!" Hichigo smirked.

"Ya haven't left yet." Ichigo's eyes widened, before sighing.

"Fine, just make it quick." Hichigo's smirk grew.

"Of course, my King." He took a deep breath, and just decided to get to the point. "I'm bored."

"You dragged me in here just to say-"

"Hey, hey!! Ya said you'd listen!" His King scowled, before sitting down, abruptly. "As I was sayin', I'm bored, because ya left me alone here ta rot. Even if there's no battlin' left ta do, doesn't mean I'm just gonna sit here an' die. 'Tis not my style. Ya don't even come in 'ere once in a while ta talk ta little ol' me.

"An' I know ya would rather me be dead, I just can't sit here an' die. Ya brought me inta this world and I'd rather like ta stay." He looked his King in the eyes, not finished, but wanting to hear his opinion.

After a couple minutes, Ichigo finally decided to speak.

"So…what you're saying…is that you're….lonely?" Hichigo scowled, and then sighed.

"It makes me sound pathetic when ya say it like that, King." His King apparently chose to ignore that.

"And you're willing to keep your ass here and not mess with my life, as long as I come and talk to you sometimes?"Hichigo scowled again.

"Again, you're makin' me sound pathetic. Ya make it sound like ya don't care for me even a bit." Ichigo looked him in the eyes, and Hichigo was shocked. (Being over dramatic about it, but at least shocked a little.)

"Ya mean that hero complex a yers doesn't even get ta me? Not even the new, non-interfearin' me? I'm hurt, King." Hichigo grabbed his heart (if he has one, he never checked) and pretended to wince in pain. Ichigo just scoffed.

"Great. What the hell am I going to tell Rukia and them now?"

"Lie?" His King growled (yes growled) at him.

"I. Do. Not. Lie!" Hichigo held up his hands.

"Alright, alright. Don't get hostile on me King. I wasn't accusin' ya a anythin'." King sighed.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll get used to you sometime." The Hollow smiled. ACTUALLY smiled!

"Does that mean what I think it means?"

"Yeah, I'll come talk to you."

"YES!!" He jumped his King. Though, people watching would call it glomping. "THANK YOU!!"

"WHAT THE HELL?! GET OFF ME!!" Hichigo's eyes widened. He looked down at his struggling King, as if trying to get his surroundings straight. Which, he was. He was, literally, lost in the moment.

"Shit. Sorry, King." He quickly got off, and sat a couple feet away. Not trusting himself to stand at the moment.

"The fuck was that about?!" The Hollow rubbed the back of his head, both in embarrassment, and an attempt at thinking what just happened.

"Uh…I was happy? I think…Emotions are still new ta me, King."

"Um…alright then…just…don't do that again. I think my heart couldn't take it."

"Aw. Fallin' fer me, King?" Ichigo almost choked.

"NO! Fuck! One heart attack at a time, please!!" Hichigo laughed. It was new to him, to laugh this warmly. Without it being to make fun of his King. It felt, good…

When he looked back at his King, he saw that he was staring at him. What was that look in his eyes? Humor? Content?

"What? Why ya lookin' at me like that?" He saw his King blush at look down, embarrassed.

"Well…I…never heard you laugh like that. It's much better then that maniac cackle or whatever it is that you do." The hollow found himself smiling. Before shaking it off.

What the hell's this feelin'? Am I the one fallin' fer King? No way in the world!! Never!! Jus' need someone ta talk ta is all. Glad fer it is all. Yeah, that's it.

He wasn't being very convincing.

AN: Hopefully I'll get more chapters up…but I got other stuff too…Might be a weekly thing…or less…hopefully…

ARIGOTO! Read and Review if ya want...but I don't review much so it might be payback for me if you dont. ...sigh...