I got so depressed over 421 I had to create this (along with another one-shot that is coming out later). Why do all my favorite pairings have to disappear :(

Special thanks to my wonderful beta-reader Panruru!

Warnings: language, yaoi and sexual situations that may not be appropriate for minors (M/M/M). First time ever writing a threesome.

It had been two months. Two months that Ichigo had been shutting out all his friends despite how hard they tried to reach him. Two months that he'd been walking around in such a daze that even his father had stopped his good morning and evening attacks out of fear of hurting his son, who would no longer try to defend himself. Two months that he'd been turning his sorrowful eyes away from the hollows that roamed the streets, knowing he couldn't do anything. Two months since he'd spoken to his family, friends, or anyone for that matter. Not to mention, two months of his alarm clock waking Rukia up in the morning because he never bothered shutting it off.

Again? Rukia yawned and sat up in the dark closet. She rubbed her eyes, her dark hair a mess sticking up in all directions, and pulled the door open to find Ichigo once again staring up at the ceiling with bloodshot eyes and dark circles plaguing his face. Another night and he still hasn't slept. She sighed and jumped out of his closet.

As she gazed at the worn teen, her mind drifted back to when she and the others had first been reunited with Ichigo after he'd defeated Aizen. She'd been so relieved just to see him alive, but he'd refused to look at her or even acknowledge her. He'd been equally unresponsive to Orihime's friendly greeting and hug, Chad's pat on the back, Renji's cocky remarks about being able to defeat Aizen quicker, and Uryu's piercing gaze. He'd simply turned and walked away from his friends, even Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro, who had finally caught up with them and were demanding an explanation regarding the recent events.

Since then she had been ordered to remain in Karakura Town and watch over the city along with Renji. She was still staying in Ichigo's closet since Isshin didn't seem to mind (quite the opposite, in fact). Renji had returned to being the geta boshi's house maid and was still being abused by the two brats that resided there. Each night they took turns going after hollows that entered the city with the help of Orihime, Chad, Uryu, and surprisingly, Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro, who had wanted to join in.

Ichigo, on the other hand, had refused. Maybe he simply didn't care anymore about the hollows that roamed the town he'd sworn to protect. No matter how many times they asked him, he simply averted his gaze and walked away. They'd all been worried, but they'd hoped it was a phase. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be the case.

It had been two months now, and things hadn't changed. Just two weeks ago Renji had punched Ichigo in hopes of knocking him out of his stupor, but Ichigo had simply taken the hit, gotten up, and walked away, leaving Renji feeling guilty while Rukia told him he shouldn't have done that.

Orihime often came over to spend some time with Ichigo, making him cookies and other treats in an attempt to cheer him up. Her bubbly personality could lighten just about anyone's mood, but Ichigo never cracked a smile and the orange haired girl always ended up sitting next to a depressed Yuzu who wanted her strong-willed brother back.

Uryu and Chad hadn't had much luck either. Uryu had opened up to Ichigo about the time he'd lost his Quincy powers and how useless he'd felt, and had tried to encourage Ichigo to keep fighting even though he'd lost his powers. However, his sentiments had been lost on the depressed teen. Chad had become Ichigo's bodyguard at school to protect him from bullies who'd noticed that the punk with the orange hair was down and wanted to take a shot at him. The taller teen had been shocked to see that Ichigo didn't even try to defend himself, and had ended up having to pry the hoodlums off of a bloodied Ichigo. It hurt him deeply to see his best friend acting so weak when he was so much stronger than this. Even before he'd gotten his powers, he'd had no problems beating up thugs who harassed him or Chad. His cocky attitude always promised a world of hurt for the bullies even when he was outnumbered. Now, he was only a shell of the person he used to be.

A few shinigami besides Rukia and Renji had remained in contact with Ichigo ... or rather, they'd tried. Hitsugaya had attempted to talk some sense into the teen, even willing to let him get away with calling him Toshiro for once, but the ex-shinigami hadn't taken the bait and had simply walked away. Rangiku had actually flashed him, expecting the teen to blush bright red, but instead he'd slammed the door in her face. Captain Kenpachi had tried to goad him into a fight, but he'd been disappointed when the teen had remained quiet and only bowed his head. He used to have respect for the kid, for the Ichigo who wouldn't go down without a fight no matter how great the odds against him. He'd left Karakura Town with an upset Yachiru and had ordered Ikkaku and Yumichika, along with everyone else in his division, to 'leave the weakling alone until he grows his balls back'.

Rukia sighed and scratched her head before hopping out of bed to turn off Ichigo's alarm clock. She stared down at the impassive teen, who didn't acknowledge her. She turned her head away and walked back to the closet, trying to hold back her tears. It almost felt like he had died during his battle with Aizen. Perhaps that might have been better than for him to return so scarred. At least then they'd have been able to remember him as the strong warrior he'd been, rather than the empty shell that had replaced him and was hurting all those around him. She had seen it in the eyes of the others as well. She had lost track of how many times she'd seen Orihime surreptitiously wiping her eyes, Renji beating himself up with the thought that he could have done something to prevent Ichigo from becoming like this, and Tatsuki hiding her sadness with anger and lashing out every time she saw Ichigo. Even Keigo's flamboyant attitude died when Ichigo was around.

A knock at the door startled her out of her dark thoughts. She glanced over at Ichigo, but he simply rolled over so his back was facing the door. She shook her head and went to answer it herself, expecting it to be one of Ichigo's friend's trying to get him out of the house again. However, rather than seeing the forced smile that Ichigo's friends usually sported, she was greeted by a grinning Urahara.

"Ah, Kuchiki-san! Nice to see your up this early in the morning." Urahara waved his fan before his face. Rukia scowled at the man. She was certain he'd known they were up; he made a habit of knowing everything in his own twisted, creepy way.

"What do you need, Urahara-san?" Rukia asked as politely as she could manage. She wondered if he'd had anything to do with the alarm clock going off even though there was no school today. She wouldn't put it past him.

"I came to see how Kurosaki-kun was doing. Ah, still in bed I see." Urahara pushed past the girl wearing Chappy pajamas and walked towards the bed, his sandals clicking against the hardwood floor. He pulled the blue Quincy blanket away from Ichigo's face to reveal a mop of messy orange hair and a passive face staring blankly at the wall. Still depressed, he thought to himself, waving the fan in front of his face. He missed the boy's scowls, his hot temper, and most of all, he missed the confidence that usually radiated off of his student. It had made him so proud when Ichigo had cut a path through Soul Society to rescue Rukia. He'd even been able to tolerate listening to Isshin brag about how his little boy was just like his daddy. The boy was strong-willed, and once he set his mind on something he'd accomplish it even if it killed him. However, the figure lying on the bed before him was not his student. The boy who had remained after his shinigami powers had disappeared was barely a shadow of his former self.

Well, for now, he thought to himself happily, and poked Ichigo in the shoulder with his cane, trying to force the boy to look at him. "I believe you have been in bed long enough, Kurosaki-kun. It's time to get up! I have something that will make you feel a whole lot better," Urahara sang cheerfully.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. He knocked away the annoying cane and glanced over at his mentor. Even in the depths of his depression, the man knew how to get to him.

"Ah, that's better. Now, I wanted to tell you that I've found a way for you to regain your shinigami powers," Urahara stated, and heard Rukia gasp in the background. Ichigo's sorrowful, bloodshot eyes blinked at him for a few moments before he finally rolled over to face him, apparently now very interested in what the man had to say.

"Yes, I believe I've found the solution. As you remember, when you first became a shinigami you received your powers from Kuchiki-san. This is sort of the same process, except I won't have to throw you in the Shatter Shaft again. I'm sure you're relieved," Urahara joked, and Ichigo's eyes narrowed further, wanting the man to get on with it already. "The process will allow you to become a shinigami again; however, you will have a different zanpakutou…" Urahara revealed, but before he could continue, the blue blanket was thrown at him.

"Kurosaki-kun?" Urahara pulled the blanket away from his face to find that the teen had swung his legs over the bed.

"Shut up," Ichigo whispered, standing up and heading towards the door. "I don't want any zanpakutou but my own," he muttered darkly before exiting the room and slamming the door behind him, knocking a picture of his friends off the wall.

He walked down the hallway, his pace increasing with every step he took. He just wanted to be left alone.

"Ichigo!"

He ignored Rukia's call as she chased him down the stairs. He'd had enough. He didn't want to hear it anymore.

"Ichi-nii?"

He kept his eyes pointed straight ahead, ignoring his family who were sitting at the table for breakfast. He could hear them holding Rukia up with their questions, and felt relieved. He wanted to be alone.

He threw the front door open and walked down the sidewalk, not caring that his hair was a mess or that he was still wearing the white t-shirt and grey sweat pants he'd slept in. None of that mattered. The only thing important in his life had been ripped away from him to save everyone, and no one, not one of his friends, allies, or family members had even mentioned Zangetsu before Urahara had spoken. No, instead they kept talking about how he could still fight and be strong without his powers and a bunch of other bull crap he didn't want to listen to.

Zangetsu was a part of him, just as much as his hollow had been. Now they were both gone, and the only person who could remember them was him! Maybe if the others had lost their zanpakutou they'd understand how he felt, but as it stood he'd had two parts of his soul ripped from him and then was expected to get over it like nothing had ever happened. Then, to be offered another zanpakutou? He didn't want another fucking zanpakutou; he wanted Zangetsu! He wanted his hollow! And most importantly:

He wanted his lovers back!

It was something he'd kept quiet, not that any of them could have told another soul during the short time it had been happening. He had first discovered his hollow's feelings for him when he went to the vizards for help. However, he'd ignored his hollow's feelings and assumed his hollow was just trying to trick him into letting his guard down so he could take over. That was what hollows did, after all; they couldn't love because they had no hearts, and he wasn't going to fall into some trap.

It wasn't until the incident at the dome that he realized his own feelings for his hollow. His hollow, who he later given the name Shirosaki, had brought him back and didn't want to let him go. He'd begged his king to allow him to remain in control until all signs of danger were past because he couldn't bear the thought of losing Ichigo. Of course a dead king meant a dead hollow, but Shirosaki had said he'd rather sacrifice himself than allow Ichigo to get in harm's way again. He didn't know what had made him believe his hollow's words, but it was then that he'd caved and allowed the hollow into his heart.

Their final partner, Tensa Zangetsu, came later during his training to learn the final Getsuga Tenshou. He was kinder and had a softer nature than his hollow, and he had seen jealousy in Shirosaki's eyes at the way he'd accepted Tensa sooner than he had the hollow. He loved them both, and vice versa. That was why they hadn't wanted him to learn the technique and had tried to drag it out in hopes that Ichigo would give up and they wouldn't have to risk losing him.

In the end, he had only learned the technique because of a mistake. The sorrow that had filled his hollow and zanpakutou still haunted him in his dreams. The tears that had run down their cheeks as they kissed him goodbye. He had given them up for Karakura Town and everyone else he cared for. Now, all the remained in the place they used to occupy inside him was an empty void.

Shirosaki, his darkness, always pushing him to be stronger yet always protecting him.

Tensa Zangetsu, his light, always at his side to block the enemy's next attack.

Both of them, his night and his day, were gone, and he'd been left alone in this empty world. Yet, life went on. No one could understand his pain; no one even tried. He was expected to move on with his life as if they'd never existed. To the rest of the world, they didn't. They had only existed inside of him, and no one else would remember them.

A single tear ran down his cheek as he ran down the street. He didn't know where he was going, but his subconscious must have been guiding him because he ended up at the only place where he had ever been able to shed his grief. The place where the other person most important to him resided.

Karakura Cemetery.

He couldn't take this, not again.

"Why?" He finally fell to his knees in the wooded area. He didn't bother trying to stop the tears that ran down his face or the sobs that escaped his lips. Why was it that the people most important to him were always taken away? After all the fighting he'd done, didn't he deserve a happy ending?

He shook as he fell forward and braced himself on his arms to keep himself from falling face first into the grass. He wanted them back. He wanted Shirosaki's perverted hands groping his ass just to get a rise out of him. He wanted Tensa cuddling him and gently petting his hair as he fell asleep on the dark haired man's shoulder.

"What's this?" a dark voice purred behind him. He hadn't heard anyone approaching, but he couldn't bring himself to look up. "Your soul looks like it'll be tasty." A black webbed foot stepped into his field of vision. Ichigo stared at the foot, his eyes blurry with tears, and it wasn't until the creature grabbed him by the back of his shirt that he looked up to see a hollow with a bird mask staring back at him.

Ichigo didn't fight back. Not when the hollow ran its tongue along the white teeth of its mask, nor when it threw him hard against a tree and detached his soul from his body. He didn't have the energy to fight anymore, nor the willpower to keep trying. He continued to lay where he'd fallen until the hollow picked him up once more and dangled him in front of its hideous mask.

What was the point? He knew he'd been hurting his friends with his depression. Perhaps it would be better if he was just devoured by a hollow. This way, at least they'd be able to move on with their lives. He knew that his grief would never end, and maybe, by some miracle, death would bring him to Tensa and Shirosaki. It was a false hope, he knew, but anything was better than living without them. He just couldn't go on anymore. His friends were safe and growing stronger day by day. They didn't need him anymore. Rukia had finally been promoted to fourth seat and Renji had been made captain of the third division. Even Orihime had been getting better with Tsubaki, and was able to take down much stronger hollows than before. Who else was there to protect? They didn't need him anymore.

Ichigo closed his eyes and allowed another tear to roll down his cheek as the hollow prepared to devour him. This was for the best. He could finally end the suffering of his friends and family, as well as his own.

"Che."

Ichigo opened his eyes in surprise when he felt himself falling to the ground despite the claws still wrapped around his body. He hit the earth with a thud, but ignored the dull ache as the hollow cried out in pain due to the loss of its arm.

"Ya really are a pain in the ass, ya know that?"

Ichigo's insides froze and for a moment it felt as if the world had stopped spinning. It can't. There's no way… he thought to himself, his heart racing in his chest. He so desperately wanted to look up, to see if it was really them, but he couldn't allow himself to give into hope when he knew it was impossible.

"Are you going to continue staring at the grass or are you going to acknowledge us?" The gentle touch of a hand on his shoulder forced him to finally look up into blue eyes that made his heart stop. God, how he'd missed those eyes. That pure blue filled with so much kindness and love that they'd made his heart melt the very first time he'd laid eyes on them.

"Ten-Tensa?" Ichigo's voice cracked and he swallowed to try and clear his dry throat. It couldn't be; he had to be dreaming.

"Can't believe ya almost got beat by that weakling," a watery voice muttered, and Ichigo turned his head to the left to see a figure with long white hair finishing off the hollow. Golden irises flicked over to look down at him, and a smirk played across Shirosaki's face. "Long time no see, King. Why ya lookin' so glum?"

Dumbfounded, Ichigo could only stare at his hollow as he made his way over to his King. "But … but you … you both disappeared. How...?" Ichigo stammered unsteadily. Shirosaki chuckled and grabbed his King by the chin before tilting his face up so he could look him in the eyes.

"Ya really think we'd leave ya?" Shiro replied before kissing Ichigo tenderly on the lips. Now he knew this was a dream. When had his hollow ever been soft?

"We will always be a part of you, even if we do not reside in your inner world. Our souls are connected, and that is something that nobody, not even death, can break. No matter how many times you are reincarnated, we will always be there for you when you're ready to accept us," Tensa whispered into Ichigo's ear, wrapping his arms around his waist to pull the teen against his chest as he kissed his neck.

"But, I've always accepted both of you! You have no idea of the kind of pain I've been going through since you guys disappeared!" Ichigo retorted, and Shiro pressed another kiss to his lips to shut him up. He loved his King, but he could be so dense sometimes.

"No, you haven't. You rejected us when you rejected your friends. Ichigo, what is the thing you want to protect most in this world?" Tensa asked as Ichigo broke his kiss with Shiro. "You know the answer; I've asked you before. You want to protect your friends, but since you lost your powers you've been shunning them and therefore have been shunning us," he revealed, hugging Ichigo from behind.

Guilt washed over the orange haired teen. It was all his fault. If he'd just accepted help from his friends, Tensa and Shiro would have come back sooner and this whole mess could have been forgotten. That was when a thought entered his head, something that Tensa had said. "Wait, then why are you guys here? I mean, I–" Shiro covered Ichigo's mouth his with hand. His King had really gotten slower since they'd been gone; they'd have to fix that later.

"Were ya even paying attention the last time we met or were you too busy thinkin' about my dick driving into your tight ass?" Shiro grinned when the angry scowl returned. Now that was the King he loved.

"Our one desire is to protect you. Even though you have been rejecting yourself, we refuse to allow anyone or anything to harm you," Tensa explained, moving his hands under Ichigo's shirt to caress the soft skin on his muscular chest.

Ichigo wrapped his arms around Shiro's neck and brought him in for a bruising kiss. He'd missed this; words couldn't explain how much he'd missed them. Though he still harbored the fear that they would disappear, he wanted them to be here; he needed to feel them.

His hands latched onto Shiro's black obi to untie it, and he desperately tried to yank the haori away from his shoulders so he could feel the pale flesh underneath. He needed to make sure this was real and not his mind playing tricks on him, or another nightmare he'd soon wake from to find them gone once again.

"Slow down, aibou. I'm supposed to be the aggressive one in this relationship." Shiro pulled back as his haori fell to the ground, revealing his lithe, well toned body. He couldn't help but smirk when he saw Tensa ripping off Ichigo's shirt. When had he become the soft one in the group? Even Tensa was being more aggressive than him, and that just wouldn't do!

"Things change," Tensa whispered as he turned Ichigo's head to the right and captured his lips in a searing kiss. The hollow could have stood there and kept whining, but he wasn't going to allow another second to pass with distance between him and Ichigo. He'd thought of the teen every passing minute, hoping that he would accept them back into his heart. He'd missed him desperately, and he felt vaguely frustrated when his hands ran down to his King's hips only to feel soft cloth denying him access to more flesh.

"Pfft, like hell," Shiro growled as he kissed Ichigo's neck, purring when he felt the teen's fingers tug on his hair.

"Please," Ichigo moaned against Tensa's lips as he felt his pants being dragged down to his knees, leaving only his boxers to cover him. He gasped when he felt Shiro nibbling on his shoulder and running a hand up his chest to capture a nipple between his thumb and forefinger. He knew what his King liked and was more than willing to serve him.

Ichigo finally reached back to tug on Tensa's hooded coat. "Just fuck me now; I need to feel you both," Ichigo whispered as Tensa's mouth began roaming the opposite side of Ichigo's neck, his greedy hands slipping into the human's boxers so he could run his fingers through the orange pubic hair that he'd always loved to play with.

"If ya–" Shiro licked his lips, ready to give into his King's demands. If he wanted to be fucked right there and then, he'd be more than pleased to take him. He could see it in Ichigo's eyes, the need to make sure they were real. To be dominated by the two people he trusted more than even himself. He would have thrown the teen on the ground right then if Tensa hadn't stopped him with a glare.

"No. We're not going to cause you more pain by taking you without preparation," Tensa said firmly, and ghosted his hands over Ichigo's hardening cock.

"I don't care about that. I need to feel you. I want to feel the pain so I know you're both really here," Ichigo cried, arching his back when Tensa wrapped a hand around his length and slowly began to stroke up and down.

"That would only be proof that we aren't really here. After all, we've never purposely caused you pain before and I don't intend to start now," Tensa whispered into his ear as his other hand tugged down his boxers, letting them pool around Ichigo's feet along with his other clothing.

Shiro rolled his eyes at the zanpakutou spirit before bringing a hand to his black obi and untying it, allowing his hakama to fall to the ground. He grinned at the hunger he saw in Ichigo's eyes as the teen watched the hollow's erection spring free, waiting for him. "Then why don't we get started so ya know we're really here?" he chuckled as Tensa removed his hand from the human and lowered him to his knees in front of the hollow.

Ichigo gazed at the familiar, drooling member for a moment before he licked his lips and ran his tongue across the head of the hollow's cock. Shiro groaned and ran his fingers through Ichigo's bright orange hair to keep him in place. He'd missed having the human's mouth on his cock, running his tongue over the head and down his shaft with small, kittenish licks. The human's hand encased the rest of his cock and stroked around the base.

His eyes shifted from the submissive human on his knees before him to the zanpakutou spirit, who threw his black coat to the ground before taking off his pants. His own erection sprang free when he tossed his pants aside, and he kneeled behind Ichigo and wrapped his arms around the teen. He ran his hands down Ichigo's body before bringing them around his neck and turning his face to meet Tensa's.

Shiro groaned when he felt the warm mouth leave his cock, but watched with mounting lust as precum spilled down Ichigo's chin only to be licked up by Tensa before he devoured that sinful mouth. He watched as the zanpakutou spirit opened his mouth snuck his tongue between Ichigo's lips, and the human opened his mouth to allow it in. As much as he liked to monopolize Ichigo, there was something even more arousing about watching him kiss Tensa.

He could feel his cock becoming painfully hard as he watched them together, and when Tensa lifted his right hand Shiro caught it in his own. The hollow grinned as he leaned down and took the fingers into his mouth, sucking on each digit and running his blue tongue over Tensa's smooth skin.

Ichigo finally broke the kiss, a trail of saliva still connecting Tensa and himself before he licked it up. He gazed up to see Shiro sucking on Tensa's fingers, and was helpless to prevent a moan from escaping his lips. He felt Tensa's other hand moving down his chest, brushing over his erect nipples before dipping down past the orange pubic hair to the teen's neglected cock and brushing his fingers over it.

"Your turn," Tensa whispered as he removed his fingers from the hollows mouth and placed them at Ichigo's awaiting lips, which greedily accepted them. Shiro moved down to his knees so he could return to assaulting the teen's neck. His fingers brushed against Tensa's as he cupped his King's balls in his hand and rolled them, making Ichigo moan around the fingers in his mouth.

"Please," Ichigo whispered when Tensa removed his fingers and brought them to his own lips to suck up the saliva from both his partners. He watched as the hollow chuckled and leaned his head against the teen's shoulder to take an earlobe into his mouth.

"Ya really are impatient. I think we'll have ta give ya some more lessons," Shiro said huskily into Ichigo's ear, making the teen groan and close his eyes as he panted. "Don't worry though; we'll teach ya another day. We got too much catching up ta do," he chuckled before licking the inside of the teen's ear.

Ichigo's eyes fluttered open and he looked over at Tensa, who circled his wet fingers around the boy's entrance before sticking two digits inside. Ichigo bit his lip, remembering previous times those fingers had filled him. It was something he'd been craving for the past two months.

Shiro squeezed Ichigo's balls one last time, drawing a moan from the teen's lips, before he took over stroking the boy's cock. "Ya like that, aibou? Like havin' him shove his fingers inside of ya, makin' ya nice and wet for us?" Ichigo gasped when he felt two more fingers push inside of him, trying to stretch him out. "Ya miss our cocks filling you up," Shiro whispered before Ichigo crashed his mouth against his hollow's.

"Shut up," Ichigo growled, and bit Shiro's lip hard enough to draw blood. The teen licked up the crimson droplets before they could leave the albino's lip.

"As ya wish." Shiro smirked, his tongue flicking out to catch Ichigo's. "My King."

"Ah!" Ichigo moaned and would have fallen forward if his hollow hadn't been there to catch him. He had been adjusting to the fingers that had been probing and stretching him, coming close, but never quite touching, that sweet delicate spot until he felt a fifth, dry finger that belonged the albino before him shove inside and hit it dead on.

"See, told ya I know him better," Shiro chuckled at Tensa, who simply rolled his eyes at the hollow. "Think he's ready?" he asked the zanpakutou spirit, who removed his fingers from the human.

"I think so." Tensa turned the teen's face towards him and kissed his lips. Shiro turned Ichigo's body fully towards the zanpakutou, and Tensa wrapped his arms around Ichigo as he deepened the kiss and fell backwards so the teen was lying on top of him.

Ichigo gazed at the zanpakutou spirit beneath him, enjoying the sight of those beautiful crystal blue eyes staring back up at him. He felt Shiro's pale hands around his waist, pushing him forward slightly before grabbing ahold of Tensa's hard, dripping length and teasing Ichigo's entrance, causing both of them to moan.

"Damnit hollow." Tensa glared over Ichigo's shoulder to see Shiro grinning. He was enjoying the opportunity to toy with the human and the zanpakutou, denying them both what they so desperately wanted. Finally, he maneuvered Tensa's cock into Ichigo's entrance and pulled the teen up so he was resting on top of it.

"Oh God," Ichigo gasped, feeling Tensa's length push inside him to the hilt. He gazed down at Tensa with lust-filled eyes and could see that the black haired boy was taking equal pleasure in the feeling of the human wrapped around his length.

Ichigo felt Shiro's hands wrap around his waist as the teen began to move on Tensa's cock, angling himself so it brushed against his prostrate with every thrust. He bit his lip when Shiro wrapped a hand around the base of his cock, holding off his release. "Not yet," the hollow whispered as he helped guide Ichigo's movements on Tensa.

"Damnit," Ichigo cursed, but continued moving his hips, lifting them up so only the tip of Tensa's cock remained in him before slamming back down and eliciting a groan from the zanpakutou.

Shiro suddenly removed both the hand on Ichigo's cock and the one on his hip, making him lose his balance and fall forward. He caught himself on his hands and Tensa brought a hand up to run along Ichigo's cheek, the pads of his fingers tickling his skin before Ichigo turned into the embrace and kissed the fingers that had only moments ago been inside of him. Glancing past Ichigo, Tensa saw Shiro grinning down at them as he ran his hands down Ichigo's back until they reached the globes of Ichigo's ass. He widened the cheeks to get a better view of Tensa's cock buried inside the teen. Tensa continued gazing up at Shiro. He knew what the hollow was going to do, so he brought his hand around Ichigo's neck and kissed him soundly. When Tensa moved his cock out slightly, Shiro thrust in alongside him.

"Mmmhm," Ichigo groaned into Tensa's mouth, eyes widening at the sudden yet all too familiar pain. He knew it would subside; it always did eventually, but the first moments were always the hardest. He closed his eyes and buried his head into Tensa's shoulder, thankful that Shiro hadn't started moving just yet.

Shiro ran a soothing hand down the teen's back as if trying to comfort him. He gazed down at the mess of orange hair buried against Tensa's shoulder. He knew that taking them one at a time would be easier for the teen, but he couldn't wait; he wanted to feel that hot warmth wrapped around his cock as he thrust forward.

Ichigo finally raised his head, panting as he peeked over his shoulder. At this, the hollow's grin returned and he moved his cock out just as Tensa moved forward before thrusting back in.

"Ah, god!" Ichigo closed his eyes, turning his hands into fists on either side of Tensa's head. The zanpakutou looked up at his human counterpart with concern.

"Ichigo, do you want to stop?" Tensa asked, running a hand through the strands of orange hair. He noticed that Shiro had stopped to wait for an answer, which was smart on his part. If the hollow had dared to continue to cause Ichigo pain, he'd have ripped him to shreds.

"No, keep going," Ichigo whispered, opening his brown eyes to look into Tensa's. He could see the uncertainty in his zanpakutou's eyes, wondering if Ichigo only wanted them to continue because he wanted the pain, but he silenced that thought with a gentle kiss before pushing back onto Shiro's cock.

Despite the pain he felt in his backside as Shiro continued to thrust, aiming for his prostrate to bring him more pleasure, this was the most comfort he'd had in the past two months. He finally felt whole again, like the pieces to his puzzle had finally been put together, and they certainly fit him perfectly.

Shirosaki, the hollow. He had always believed that hollows were the enemy, and it hadn't helped that Shirosaki had always been either goading Ichigo into battle or threatening to shake his throne. However, he had since learned that not all hollows were bad, and certainly not his hollow. Despite how crude his nature was at times, he pushed Ichigo to go farther than he ever thought he could. He made him want to get stronger just to shut that mouth up or cover it with his own.

Tensa Zangetsu, the zanpakutou spirit. It had surprised him, seeing Zangetsu change from an old man to a young one during bankai. He showed the same wisdom and affection towards him that the old man had, maybe more. Despite the nature of their first encounter, the zanpakutou spirit's protectiveness was rivaled only by the hollow's. He guided Ichigo, soothed the teen when he was in pain, and gave him room to grow by not giving him all the answers.

Ichigo, the human. The reason the other two existed. They needed him, depended on him to survive; not only for their own benefit, but for the love they shared for their host. The human showed a degree of compassion towards them that few other shinigami did for their zanpakutou, and that only drew them closer to their King. Both were willing to give him whatever power they had to ensure his safety.

Human, zanpakutou, and hollow; three entities that were rarely found in the same sentence and almost never in a positive way, but they completed Ichigo.

Ichigo bit his lip as his trapped cock rubbed against Tensa's damp stomach. Sweat dripped from his cheek and onto the other's face. He could feel his release coming; he could feel his blood pounding and his heart beating harder in his chest as his balls tightened.

"Oh god!" Ichigo cried as he threw his head back and climaxed. He was followed only seconds later by Tensa, who arched his back and thrust deeper into the teen as he released his seed. Ichigo slumped forward onto the black haired boy, their sweaty and sticky bodies collapsing together. He felt Shirosaki thrust into him two more times before the hollow dug his fingers into the teen's back and pressed inside as deeply as he could before releasing his own seed into the human below him.

Ichigo groaned when he felt Shiro's weight come to rest on him, but he didn't have the heart to tell him to move. He wanted them both as close as possible, a small part of him still terrified that if he let them out of his sights they'd disappear again. However, when he looked down at Tensa he saw that he was being crushed at the bottom, so he finally moved his shoulders up. Luckily, the hollow caught on and moved off of him, bringing the teen to the side with him.

"Ichi." Shiro kissed his cheek, then moved down and placed another gentle kiss on his neck. "My aibou." He nuzzled the teen's side and wrapped his arms around him. "My King." He cuddled close to Ichigo with Tensa cuddling on the other side of the boy.

"Ichigo," Tensa whispered, and the teen turned his head to look into the blue eyes of the zanpakutou. "I think it would be a good idea to go see your friends and apologize. They'll need you no matter how strong they grow; you are still their friend and therefore will always been needed. The pain you've been feeling these past few months is the same pain I am sure they've all felt," Tensa told him, and Ichigo felt a twinge of guilt over the pain he must have put his friends and family through. Tensa was right; he needed to talk to them and apologize for ignoring them these past weeks.

"Will you guys come with?" Ichigo asked, resting his head against Tensa's.

"Of course; we would follow you anywhere." Tensa kissed Ichigo's temple and stroked the teen's hair.

"I wanna see ya on your hands and knees, your majesty." Shiro smirked and Ichigo rolled his eyes at his hollow. "I swear though, if ya let some punk ass thugs beat ya up again without defendin' yourself, I'll kick your ass," he told the human as he cuddled closer.

Urahara's Shoten

Rukia sighed as she looked out the window. It was getting dark and there was still no sign of Ichigo. After he had run off she'd tried to catch up with him, but Karin and Yuzu had stopped her to ask what was wrong with their brother. She couldn't leave the two girls feeling distraught, so she simply told them that he was just going for a jog. She could see in Isshin's eyes that he knew the truth, but he remained silent. She had contacted the others for help finding him, but they'd had no luck.

"Do you think Kurosaki-kun is safe? I mean, what is something happens to him out there?" Orihime asked worriedly, resting her chin against her knees and wrapping her arms around her legs to bring them closer to her body.

"That guy's too stubborn to die, so don't worry about it," Renji waved off the comment before chowing down on a bowl of noodles set on the table. He seemed to be the only one that was able to eat since the others had lost their appetites.

"But what about now?" Chad asked solemnly, causing Renji to stop eating and lower his chopsticks to the bowl. Even after all this time, it was still hard to think of the ex-shinigami as weak and defenseless. It just wasn't Ichigo, not the cocky teen who'd barged into Soul Society and defeated so many high ranking officers and captains to save Rukia, who'd entered the land of hollows and raced across the dark sky defeating every arrancar that tried to stop him from rescuing Orihime, who had sacrificed everything he was to defeat the most dangerous shinigami traitor in history.

"Have you had any luck locating him, Urahara-san?" Uryu asked from where he stood in the corner with his arms crossed. The ex-captain rubbed his chin and was about to open his mouth when they were all startled by a knock at the door.

"I could have sworn I put the 'Closed' sign on the door. Excuse me." Tessai bowed to the ground before walking to the door to turn away whichever desperate customer was pounding on it.

"I'm sorry, but we're … boss!" Tessai yelled as he held the door open and the small group turned to see Ichigo walking into the shop wearing a dark purple hoodie and pair of black jeans. The group stared in shock; after searching for him everywhere, he'd finally decided to find them instead.

"Kurosaki-kun, I'm so glad you're alright!" Orihime exclaimed with a relieved smile.

"Where have you been? We've been looking everywhere for you!" Tatsuki yelled at him to hide her relief at finding him safe. Ichigo looked up at the group guiltily before bowing his head.

"I'm sorry," Ichigo whispered. It was the first time any of them had heard him speak in two months, save for Rukia and Urahara who had heard him that morning. "I ha–" he started to continue when a white figure came up behind him and jumped on his back, sending him crashing to the floor.

"Eh, that's not the apology we talked about. Hands and knees, King, now try again." Shirosaki smirked down at his King, leaving the others in the room to sweat drop and feel confused as to who the stranger was.

"Get off me, you bastard! I swear I'll kick your ass!" Ichigo growled as he tried to shove his hollow off of him. A hand flew to Orihime's mouth in worry and she hoped that Ichigo was alright. Meanwhile, a smirk played around Rukia's lips. It was about time someone kicked some sense into him.

"You weren't supposed to attack him." Tensa appeared behind the two and grabbed Shirosaki by his long white hair to pull him off of Ichigo. The hollow glared at the zanpakutou spirit but knew better than to argue; he'd save it for later.

Ichigo slowly got off the floor, dusting himself off and scowling at his hollow before turning back to his friends. "I'm sorry for what I put you guys through these past two months. I shouldn't have treated you all the way I did." He bowed his head once more, but quickly snapped back up when he heard a shriek of joy.

"IIICHIIIIGOOOO! I knew you couldn't stay mad at–" Keigo came flying towards the wide-eyed teen, who took a step back. When he was only a few inches from glomping Ichigo, two hands grabbed the brown haired boy and brought him to the ground with a loud thud. Ichigo stared down at Keigo, noticing that Tensa and Shiro were refusing to let up the teen that had tried to attack their human counterpart. When they said they meant to protect him, they really meant it.

Ichigo finally looked up at the rest of his friends and was surprised to see all of them smiling, even Uryu. "Of course we forgive you, Kurosaki-kun." Orihime smiled sweetly.

"So, are they the ones that finally kicked some sense into you?" Rukia asked, folding her arms over her chest. A feeling of relief washed over her at the sight of Ichigo back to his old self.

"Uh, well, you know how I lost my powers?" Ichigo scratched the back of his head and watched as several of them nodded. "Well, this is Shirosaki; he's my hollow." The long haired albino grinned as he waved at the shocked faces. Many of them had seen Ichigo's hollow mask, but they'd never actually seen the famous hollow that had kept trying to take over his body. His grin only widened when he saw Orihime hide behind Chad. "And this is Tensa Zangetsu; you guys should know who he is." Ichigo motioned towards the black haired boy, who bowed his head towards Ichigo's friends. He already knew who each and every one of them were because they were all important to Ichigo, and therefore, important to him.

"So you're a hollow, huh?" Keigo jumped up from the floor and observed Shirosaki with interest. "You don't look like the mindless, ugly creatures we kill every night. Where's your hole?" he questioned, and the albino punched him in the face and knocked him out cold.

"Oh my god!" Orihime peeked out from behind Chad and moved closer to Tensa, her eyes shining with amazement at the black haired boy. "He is sooo cute!" she grabbed the zanpakutou spirit and hugged him. "Kuchiki-san, you know what would look good on him?" she looked back at the black haired girl, who was eyeing him like a giant Chappy doll.

"I already know what you're thinking, Orihime," Rukia told the other girl before pulling a set of bunny ears out of nowhere. "And I'm way ahead of you." She grinned.

"Wait. Ichigo," Tensa cried, trying to get away from the women.

"Glad to have you back." Renji slapped Ichigo on the back with a grin. "For a while I thought you were really turning into a wuss," he told the ex-shinigami, who narrowed his eyes.

"Well I couldn't leave the town to you, could I? It'd be destroyed within days." Ichigo grinned, and Renji narrowed his eyes and got into Ichigo's face.

"What did you say, strawberry?" Renji muttered, but he was grinning himself.

"He said that the town would be destroyed, and he's right, moocher-san," Jinta piped up, and Renji glared down at the kid. He swore that one of these days the kid would be hanging from the gutter.

"I'm glad everything worked out, Kurosaki-kun." Urahara moved up beside the teen and they turned to watch Tatsuki and Chad talking to Shiro, who didn't seem to mind them. They were fairing much better, at least, than the bleeding boy lying at their feet. Tensa was fruitlessly trying to get away from Rukia and Orihime, who were pinching his cheeks and commenting on how cute he looked while nearby, Uryu was busy thinking up a new outfit for the zanpakutou with a little more color. Black didn't suit him. He would look better in white and blue, in the Quincy's opinion.

"Yeah, me too." Ichigo smiled as he watched his two lovers converse with his friends. His heart was overwhelmed with joy at the sight of the people most important to him getting to know each other. All the doubts he'd had earlier in the day were fading, because he knew he would never be separated from Shiro or Tensa again.

"If you want to regain their powers, I can help put them back inside of you so you regain your hollow and shinigami powers," Urahara suggested, waving his fan in front of his face to hide a sneaky grin.

"Eventually." Ichigo shrugged. "Right now, they're fine how they are." Of course, if they were inside his mind again it would mean more personal alone time with them...

He frowned when his mentor put an arm around his shoulders and brought him closer, making his face turn red. The shop owner's grin disappeared, however, when he was thrown off of Ichigo by a very ticked off hollow and zanpakutou, both holding onto Ichigo protectively.

His friends stopped talking and stared down at the shopkeeper, making a mental note not to get too close to Ichigo with a newly learned fear of the zanpakutou and hollow. Ichigo only sighed. Maybe it really would be better to put them back into his head, for his mentor's safety at the very least. For now, though, he wanted them to get to know his friends. Maybe if they were up for it he'd even introduce them to goat face and his sisters. He knew that Karin and Shiro would get along and Yuzu would probably be just as interested in Tensa as Rukia and Orihime had been … though, hopefully not to the extent of wanting to dress him up like a doll.

He couldn't suppress the smile that spread across his face, replacing his usual scowl. He had his happy ending after all. The Gotei 13 were rebuilding their shattered society. Karakura Town remained oblivious to the danger it had been in only a few months back. His friends had all survived and come back after the war, and their lives were returning to normal. His family was safe and sound with the exception of a few bruises that littered Isshin's face where his children beat him. And his lovers, Shirosaki and Tensa Zangetsu, were finally reunited with him.

Good, Bad, Ugly?