Part 4 The Icy Cure

A Bleach Story

An IchiHitsu Story

Talking thinking Zanpakutou Narration

Ten days had passed since the tenth-division taichou had traveled to the World of the Living to care for the ill substitute shinigami. Ten days that the two had to learn about one another as well as themselves. Ten long days of semi-awkward moments, interesting conversations, and horrible hallucinations. And more importantly, it had been only five days since Ichigo Kurosaki had realized his love for his caregiver, the youngest Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, Toshiro Hitsugaya. The situation between the two shinigami's had drastically changed on the fifth day, though more to do with the strawberry's increasing activity than the obvious repression of their feelings; that however, was about to change.

"Ba Toshiooo!" The redhead whined, his voice scrambled slightly by the large thermometer in his mouth.

"Shut up! Don't talk until it's finished," Hitsugaya replied, watching the clock closely as he waited for the tiny rod to be finished.

Ichigo pouted, resigning himself to a stern air of silence as he too waited for the tiny device to be finished. After the designated time was done, the white-haired prodigy pulled the rod out of his patient's mouth, checking it and frowning.

"101.4," He muttered, clucking his tongue in distaste. "I'd hoped your fever would've gone down by now."

"Tired of caring for me already?" His roommate asked, a smirk stretching across his lips, though he frowned inwardly.

But the young tendo merely scoffed. "I simply meant that I'd hoped you would be better, because if your temperature doesn't start going down, I'm going to have to freeze you solid."

Ichigo chuckled lightly, sweatdropping as the icy Zanpakutou wielder made no move to join him. "Well anyway, Toshiro…"

"Captain Hitsugaya."

"Right, yeah. Anyway Toshiro, I really am feeling much better, how about we go out today? I here there's this small festival in an out of the way town just a little while from here. It could be really nice," The orange-haired shinigami continued, looking up at him pleadingly as the white locks poked there way into the doorframe.

"Out? To a festival no less?" Hitsugaya asked incredulously. "Really Ichigo, after all this time you should realize that it can't happen. Why else would I stay in here for ten days straight?"

"Yeah, but I haven't felt this good the entire time and I haven't gotten dizzy or had a hallucination in a long while!" The substitute argued.

"Yes, but you also should know that only I am going to be able to withstand the disease. It's very contagious," The icy captain replied.

"True, but only to those with reiatsu. This festival's out of the town and I doubt there'll be many people with reiatsu. And you'll be there won't you? Your reiatsu will protect anyone for a little while," Ichigo countered for a final time. "Plus that gigai Urahara made is supposed to allow your reiatsu to leak out in a controlled stream, right?"

The snowy-locked boy struggled to keep up, replying yes to all of his points, but still it just… wasn't possible. Was it? Hitsugaya pondered the thought for a moment. It wouldn't be good. What could come of it? Being out with Kurosaki? Just the two of them?

"No! It just will not work," He determined finally.

"What! Why no!" The redhead whined.

"Because, it just won't," Toshiro answered, turning his back to the teen as he sat on the arm of the couch.

"That's not fair and you know it Toshiro," The strawberry muttered bitterly. "I don't want to have to force you Toshi, but I will if you make me!"

"Excuse me?" The captain asked, turning abruptly to face him.

"You heard me! And I meant it, now can we go or not?" The redhead repeated.

"No means no, Kuro…!" The snowy-haired taichou started, shrieking lightly as the teen pulled him back, off of the arm and onto his lap.

The teen ran his hands up and down his crush's torso, sending him into frantic giggles. After a few minutes to get his point across the substitute soul reaper stopped, keeping the captain there as he regained his breath.

"Kuro… saki… Ichigo. That… was not fair," Toshiro growled, squirming into the taller male's grip.

The frigid captain hated being tickled. It was like he was toddler again, back in the Rukongai with all of the hardship and none of the respect. Plus having the orange-haired teen running his hands all over his body? His cheeks reddened just thinking about it.

"Yeah, well two unfairs… uh, make a fair? Yeah sure," The redhead argued, looking down at the boy in mock-anger. "Well how about it? Can we go? Cause I've got more where that came from."

But placing a hand on the usually frosty captain's sides was enough of an incentive. "Alright! …So how are we getting there?"

Ichigo grinned; one for the human and zero for the soul reaper.

It was well after dusk that the two left, Toshiro insisting that after dark, even with Japan's summer heat, it would be better for the substitute Shinigami. And Ichigo agreed with minimal grumbling, knowing that managing to go at all was enough of an accomplishment. So now there they were, in a small town a few miles away from Karakura, where the streets were lit up with lanterns and colorful booths littered the sides of the streets. The smells from the food flooded their noses as the vendors called out to the pair, offering them whatever the booth had.

"Well Toshiro, what d'you think? You wanna do something?" Ichigo asked, smiling lightly as they walked along.

But the tiny taichou paid no notice, his teal eyes busy flitting back and forth watching the scene around him with child-like (a word that could almost never be equated to the captain) wonder.

"Toshiro?"

The frosty captain shook himself of the amazement, his large turquoise eyes turning to meet the inquisitive brown orbs. "Hmm?"

"I was asking you what you… Toshiro, have you never been to a festival?" The redhead asked curiously.

"No, I've always been to busy," He replied quickly, turning around to look at another booth.

Ichigo grinned, watching as the captain's eyes grew when they spotted something he liked. He'd never pegged Hitsugaya as the type to really enjoy festivals, but the snowy-locked boy was so engrossed that he'd even forgotten his usual retort of "It's Hitsugaya-taichou to you!" Now that was surprising. The redhead sighed contentedly as he looked up into the stars. He rather liked this side of Toshiro; it was so… adorable. A small tug on his shirt shook him from his thoughts and forced his eyes away from the sky and down to the large blue-green orbs in front of him.

"Umm… Kurosaki?" The teal eyed one asked.

"Yeah?" Ichigo replied, his own eyes sparkling.

"What is that?" Toshiro continued, pointing to a stall a few booths away.

Ichigo turned, squinting his chocolate orbs to focus on the booth. He grinned as he realized which one the young shinigami was asking about.

"Oh, well that's a game where you try and catch a fish with a tiny paper net," The teen finally answered.

"Really? But how can you do that? Paper would dissolve in water," Hitsugaya countered, his eyes wide with wonder.

Ichigo grinned again. It was so strange how one minute the shinigami could act middle-aged, the next act like a grade-schooler and then immediately return to his forties. Just another wonderful quality of Toshiro Hitsugaya he supposed.

"Yes, but that's the game. You have to catch the fish before the net's destroyed," He explained, smiling.

"Ah… could we, umm…?" Toshiro muttered, his face coloring lightly.

"You wanna play? Yeah, of course!" Ichigo agreed, grabbing the boy's hand and pulling him along.

The snowy-locked "grade-schooler" – because he was anything but – ran in line, waiting impatiently for their turn at the game. Finally the few in front of them left and the elderly man behind the counter ushered them up, handing them the two paper spoons with a "good luck."

"Alrighty then Toshiro…"

"That's Hitsugaya-taichou."

"Yeah, right. So anyway let me show you how it's done, then you can take a whack at it, alright?" The redhead offered, a smug look on his face as he kneeled in front of large bucket of water.

The substitute shinigami scrunched his eyes, scanning the water for the perfect fish. And then he found it, a smaller fish, it's shiny white scales setting it apart from the other orange and black ones that swam around it. He zeroed in, swept the water with his little spoon and came up… with a large whole, the little white fish still swimming happily in its freedom.

"Damn…" Ichigo muttered as his companion rolled his eyes just keeping the grin that threatened to appear on his face at bay.

"Alright, now let me try," He said, kneeling down beside him and leaning over the bucket.

"Yeah, right…" The orange-haired teen muttered, a kind of blank look glazing over his eyes as he watched Toshiro; the boy's white hair falling over his eyes slightly as he looked down at the fish.

He watched the young captain as he moved his spoon closer to the water, keeping it just over the little white fish as he waited for the perfect timing. Finally he struck quickly, jutting the scooper into the water and pulling it back out in one piece, the little white fish flopping on the paper. He held out his bowl, lightly tossing it in before turning back to the water.

"Toshiro, there's no way you can get two," Ichigo said, though thoroughly impressed.

"We'll see," The white-haired shinigami replied. "And that's Hitsugaya-taichou to you."

The little scooper plunged back into the water coming out once again with the paper intact and a larger orange fish flopping on it. He tossed it beside the white fish just before the paper collapsed. Ichigo's mouth dropped open in surprise and he looked down at the scooper, taking note of a few specks on the rim that had the lantern's light reflecting off of them. The teen looked back up, but before he could even say something the snowy-locked boy was gone, already up and at the end of the line. Ichigo grinned and jumped up walking over to the boy quickly… maybe, a little to quickly. The redhead stumbled slightly, struggling to stay upright as the ground around him span quietly.

"Kurosaki? Are you alright?" Toshiro asked, appearing beside him in an instant, placing his hand on the ill teen's back.

"Yeah… just, a little dizzy… that's all," Ichigo muttered in reply, grabbing onto his love for support.

The smaller pale placed a hand on his patient's forehead, biting his lip at the contact. He was really hot. Wait… uh… warm! Yeah warm. I mean truthfully he was hot, but not in the attractive… I mean that's not to say the taichou considered him ugly, just not… and even if he did, Hitsugaya would never call anyone "hot." I was just too crass, but still the substitute shinigami before him… well, he ran his eyes up the body once and thought about it. Yeah, he was pretty damn ho-

"Can we… sit?" The teen in question muttered, his eyes closed in an attempt to regain his balance.

The tenth-division captain nodded, helping the redhead over to a nearby bench, sitting down beside him after he was sure the teen was not going to collapse.

"You're running hot," Toshiro mumbled, concern swirling in his teal orbs.

"Thanks, you're not half bad either," Ichigo mumbled, smiling weakly.

Hitsugaya blushed, thankful that the teen had had his eyes shut as he did. "You have a fever. I told you we shouldn't have come."

The orange-haired shinigami took in a shaky breath. "I'll be fine. Just… give me some ice, will ya?"

"What? Just make some? In public?" The ice-zanpakutou wielding soul reaper asked incredulously.

"Yeah just… coat your hand in it," Ichigo pleaded quietly, his entire body shivering lightly. "Please?"

"Ichi… Kurosaki, I cannot just use Hyorinmaru in front of all these people," Hitsugaya argued, his face stern while his eyes showed his true concern.

In truth, the snowy-locked boy wanted nothing more than to jump out of his gigai, whip out the dragon on his back and make it snow. But… maybe it was because of this that the youngest captain refused to. The rules and regulations had always been law to him, something to obey to one's last breath, not a set of guidelines that one could skip at any moment; but when Ichigo had asked… it took everything he had not to break everything he believed as true. And it scared him, what could posses him to do that? Why was it that simply because the orange-haired teen was sick and had asked it of him that he would even consider it? Why? Was it what Hyorinmaru had spoken to him about? But whatever it was he couldn't. He wouldn't expose himself.

"You did it well enough when you were at the fishing game," The redhead coughed, turning to him with a small glint in his eye.

Toshiro blushed furiously, his face whipping away from the teen's accusing gaze. "You knew?"

"Yeah," Ichigo replied, a smile breaking out on his face. "I saw the specks of ice on the edges. You covered the paper in ice so it would be stronger and then melted it away after you'd gotten the two fish."

Toshiro blushed again, but the pinkish hue disappeared instantly as his companion wavered, leaning dangerously close to the ground. The white-haired prodigy grabbed onto the larger male, his hand coating itself in ice as he brought it up to the teen's forehead.

"Alright," He whispered. "But only this once."

A few minutes at the pair were back on their feet and amongst the people and booths, if a little more laid back.

"Hey, how about something to eat, eh Toshiro?" The redhead asked, a light smirk on his lips as he looked back towards the smaller taichou.

Toshiro blushed furiously, turning away and muttering a "whatever" as well as his usual "it's Hitsugaya-taichou." But Ichigo merely laughed, turning back to the vendor and purchasing the food, leaving the shorter shinigami to sort through his thoughts. First of all, why did the teen have to have such a gorgeous smile? Every time he looked at the snowy captain with that grin, or his smirk and especially the all out flash of teeth, the white-haired prodigy would go weak at the knees and his cheeks would flare up hotter than the Head-Captain's zanpakutou, [Riujin Jaka]. Secondly, why was it that each time the teen would get close to him, even if simply out of sickness the tendo's heart would beat so fast he could've out-raced (Flashstep Master) Yoruichi? And finally… why the hell was Hyorinmaru suddenly snickering at every embarrassing turn his day had! If the two were supposed to be one, how did Hyorinmaru know something he didn't!

"Do not worry young one," The dragon cooed. "It will come to you… in time."

"And what was with the cryptic messages?" Toshiro thought to himself.

"Here ya go," Ichigo said suddenly, once again breaking the young tendo out of his thoughts.

A large stick of meat was thrust into his hands as the carrot-topped teen plopped down beside him.

"Thank you," The captain muttered, taking a bite of the food.

"Hey, you're the one caring for me. I should be thanking you," The orange-haired shinigami countered, grinning again.

But before the icy-locked captain could blush, the phone rang and the two paled lightly.

"Hollow?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"Three of them," Toshiro replied. "And we're the only ones near here. They must've sensed my reiatsu."

The substitute soul reaper sighed, looking passed the mountains that hid the demons so well, but a fast punch to the shoulder knocked him back into the present moments later.

"OW!" He shouted, turning to the boy beside him. "What was that for?"

"Because I told you I shouldn't have used Hyorinmaru here! It's why they've come," Hitsugaya yelled back, standing up and pulling the candy dispenser out of his pocket.

"Sorry? Now give me one," The ill soul reaper said, looking up at his companion as his soul was pushed from his body and the body sat back down, looking up at the shinigami obediently.

"Are you kidding?" The captain asked, his eyebrow raised incredulously. "You're still sick, and in no condition to fight. Stay here and watch my gigai."

"What? I am not just going to… uh…" Ichigo argued, standing up to gain the height advantage, but the dizzy spell came back full force and the teen plopped back down, holding his head. "Oh, alright…"

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes but flash-stepped off into the distance anyway. He needed to get back as quickly as possible. The hollows had been weak, only there because they were smart enough to sense the minimal amount of reiatsu the captain had let slip out and stupid enough not to realize it was way out of their league. They'd been taken out in a only a few minutes, the actual bulk of the time he'd spent running from the festival out into the field. But as soon as he'd thrust his sword into the last hollow's mask and it exploded into the dark smoke, the icy shinigami'd felt something. Not much, but something… something bad.

"Ichigo," He whispered, sheathing his sword and sprinting off as fast as he could.

He'd gotten back in record time, but the view he received was one he definitely would have rather gone without. Ichigo was sprawled over the ground, panting furiously as a crowd of people leaned into see what was going on. The icy-captain jumped into his gigai, glaring at the people blocking his way to his patient. He reached down to gather the teen in his arms, but found himself hissing at just the touch. The carrot top's skin was boiling, steam literally leaving the tan arms as they made contact with Toshiro's much colder ones. Glaring again at the spectators he ran off, hurrying towards the only place he could think of to save the teen and hoping like hell that he wouldn't be caring a corpse anytime tonight. But when the pair had reached Urahara's shop he'd found it closed. They'd broken down the doors and rushed in, but still no one. Swearing, the icy-captain reached for the candy dispenser only to find it empty as well. The white-haired captain ran back to his patient, kneeling beside him as he freed his reiatsu as much as possible.

"Kurosaki… dammit, don't die on me! Hold on, just a little longer until I can figure something out!" Toshiro shouted angrily as he felt the teen's pulse weaken.

But no matter how hard the white-haired tendo tried, he couldn't think of anything. His mind was locked, sealed away when he needed it most. All he could see was his fear and frustration. What would he do if the substitute shinigami died? What was he supposed to tell the teen's family? His friends? How would he tell Kuchiki? The two seemed as inseparable as him and Momo.

"Do not overlook anything," A voice boomed.

The tendo didn't even have time to remember whose voice that was, but he did get the message. Overlook? What could he possibly be- Ichigo gasped as a wave of pain shook his body. No… he had. What was the tendo going to do about himself? He needed the orange-haired idiot as much as anyone else, maybe even… no definitely more. He needed Kurosaki Ichigo like he needed air, like he needed food and water. Life without him was unthinkable, impossible, and most definitely unbearable. His entire being felt the teen's life slipping away and he couldn't bare it. He loved the carrot top more than anything. Love… was that what Hyorinmaru was prattling on about? Love?

"Kuro… Ichigo, I-I… I love you," Toshiro whispered, leaning over the teen's form until his white locks tickled the tan face below him. "I love you. And I can't… I-I won't let you die. The world needs you; your friends need you; your family needs you… and most definitely, I-I need you. I cannot live without you, you idiot. So please… please just… just don't die."

As the usually frigid captain made his confession his reiatsu flared out of control, breaking the binds of his gigai and setting him free. But the white-haired tendo took no notice, his frozen reiatsu still flowing out and instantly cooling the room. And still the tenth-division taichou continued, his heart melting slowly as the room around him did the opposite. The frigid reiatsu slowly invaded Ichigo's body, the two spiritual pressures no longer grating against one another, but sliding into sync with each other, easily balancing the temperature of the orange-haired shinigami.

The chocolate eyes cracked open just in time to hear the finish to Toshiro's heart felt confession.

"I love you Kurosaki Ichigo… I may have always and it might have only just appeared, I do not know. B-but… I love you, more than anyone… please… just survive, for me…" He whispered his icy forehead now resting on the Ichigo's chest.

"W-well… if you insist," The redhead muttered, grinning as brightly as he could.

The teal eyes snapped open and his head turned to face him, a smile appearing on the taichou's face as well.

"Ichigo! You're alive!" He shouted, wrapping his arms around the still weak shinigami. "How long have you been…"

"A-all my life I think… oh, w-well I mean, not when I was a shinigami I suppose," The teen laughed weakly, receiving a hard rap to the head for his troubles.

"I meant, how long were you awake, you idiot," The prodigy clarified, his eyes shining with fear.

"I heard… enough," Ichigo answered, looking back up at him.

Toshiro turned, unable to look anywhere but at the floor as his fists clenched against the tatami. "I didn't… I mean I thought…"

"You thought I was dying and couldn't hear you," The redhead said, struggling to sit up and look at the frosty captain.

But the brush with death that he'd had was no little wound and the teen came back crashing down, unable to hold up his weight. Two arms encircled him, saving him from the little fall that was about to come.

"Yes," Toshiro murmured, looking down at the teen with watery eyes.

"That was wrong of you Toshiro."

"I know, I apologize. I don't know what I was thinking, it's simply not possible; I know and you're most likely with…" Hitsugaya began, his small rant being cut of off as the teen placed a finger to his lips.

"I meant, that it was selfish of you not to tell me," The teen said, smiling softly.

"Shelfish?" Toshiro mumbled, Ichigo's finger still pressed against his lips.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that'd you'd like to know if I said I loved you too, wouldn't you?" The substitute soul reaper asked.

"…Yes, I would, but…" The snowy-haired tendo continued, still unsure where this was going.

"Well then you know how I feel. Because I love you Toshiro Hitsugaya and I really want to know if you love me too," Ichigo said, placing one hand against the floor to push himself up as the other pulled Toshiro's head down.

And just as the two met in their first kiss, the supposed tendo realized what the acclaimed idiot meant. Love, it was a confusing thing, just as Hyorinmaru had said.

A few minutes later and Toshiro had realized that he was back in his shihakusho and hand the icy-dragon on his back. He whipped it out, calling forth a Senkaimon and helping the still wobbly teen through it. The two had gotten through without a hitch and were escorted to the Fourth Division where Unohana was ready to do another diagnostic. And a few more tests and deathly scary glares by the usually cheerful taichou and the conclusion had been met that the disease was officially gone, with no trace of it left to be seen. The fourth-division captain had bowed lightly, leaving the pair to themselves once again. Toshiro smiled as his strawberry reached to take his hand, but pulled back instantly when the knock on his door echoed around the room.

"Come in," Ichigo announced, jumping out of the bed and behind his new love as the only blue-haired taichou walked into the room. "Oh hell no! No more experiments!"

"Ah, don't worry Kurosaki-san, I am simply here to ask a question. I've… learned by lesson," Mayuri assured him, though the creepy smirk on his lips slightly discredited the notion.

The other captain present gave his love's hand a squeeze, assuring him that it would be okay.

Ichigo nodded lightly, climbing back into bed and looking at the twelve-division captain suspiciously. "Alright, what?"

"I simply must know, in the end, what cured it?" Kurotsuchi asked, a maniacal grin on his pale face.

Ichigo grinned back, both thankful that it was nothing worse and that it was something that could be so enjoyable.

"Definitely ice," He said, looking to the frosty captain as he said it.

Toshiro blushed furiously, making a mental note beat the living hell out of his lover later. But Mayuri simply shrugged, turning back around and leaving slightly confused.

"Yep, definitely ice, right Toshiro?" Ichigo asked after the creepy captain had left.

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes, a smirk appearing on his face. "Yeah… ice."

"And love."