Warnings/Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters. This is an AU- an alternate universe for anyone who doesn't know- and the combined inspiration from "Get the Picture" by KivaEmber and "There's a Price for Power" by Nakimochiku. Warnings include past and current yaoi relationship and situations- just fluffy sleepy stuff :3

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Lord Shiro and his Sleeping Consort

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"Lord Shirosaki-sama!" One of the servants called loudly from outside the luxurious black and gold tent of Shiro's royal quarters. His voice was shrill and irritating, and even in his deep sleep, the albino ruler recognized the annoying trill of his servants' main organizer.

Shirosaki groaned and lifted one arm to rest over his unopened eyes, hoping the annoying man would just leave. His consort stirred in sleep next to him, eyelashes fluttering against the pale lord's bare shoulder as his slumber was threatened to be taken from him. Shiro soothed him back into unconsciousness with a light touch to his lover's soft orange hair. The white haired male grinned in triumphant relief when Ichigo, his beloved consort, sighed contentedly and snuggled back into the silken sheets against his side and remained blissfully asleep.

He eyed the exposed perfect tan smoothness of his consort's skin approvingly before answering the servant. "Come in but be quiet!" Shiro hissed to the man outside the fabric, propping himself up on one elbow to face the entrance flap. "If ya wake up Ichi, I'll tear yer head off." The King snarled quietly.

The man entered meekly and bowed to the ground before Shiro and his sleeping partner, navy locks tied back from his bespectacled face. "Lord Shirosaki-sama. Your generals, Grimmjow-sama and Ulquiorra-sama, request most humbly an audience with your majesty to relay information and receive your instruction for the upcoming battle." The purple robed man stayed crouched before the albino, relaying his message in a whisper. He kept his breathing shallow and made no noise whatsoever because he knew that Shiro would stay true to his word and kill him if the beloved and most highly respected consort woke up. It had happened before. It'd been a bleak day for the servants of the royal household.

"Fine. Tell 'em I'll be right there in a sec." Shiro yawned, waving for the man to leave, who quickly did so, still being extremely careful not to make a sound. With a light groan, Shiro fell back to the sheets as soon as the tent flap closed.

Ichigo mumbled something in his sleep and rolled over onto Shiro, surprising the albino when tanned arms wrapped themselves around his bare chest. Golden eyes blinked in surprised pleasure and slipped half closed as Shiro smiled fondly at the top of his sleeping consort's head resting on his collarbone. Trailing pale fingers lightly along Ichigo's warm naked back, Shiro was very reluctant to wake the younger man and remove himself from his warm embrace to attend a very boring, monotone strategy meeting.

Oh, the choices. Acknowledge sarcasm here.

Deciding effortlessly, the albino reached over and pulled the gold threaded rope hanging next to his bed that was rarely used to call a servant to his quarters. A soft tap on the tent's entrance flap signified the arrival of a messenger, come to answer his call.

A woman this time, the servant bowed to the ground as her predecessor had, her purple servant's robes flaring out around her. "Your orders, Lord Shirosaki-sama?" She whispered, forewarned that Ichigo was asleep and careful not to make any noise as well.

"Tell Grimmjow and Ulquiorra t' come 'ere." The albino lord ordered, stifling a yawn that threatened to mar his speech with a black nailed hand.

"I shall inform them at once, Lord Shirosaki-sama." The woman assured, quickly getting to her feet and silently leaving the tent to deliver her message.

Shiro listened to his consort's deep even breathing as he waited for his two sole generals to arrive. Thinking that he would need to be sitting up, Shiro thought of ways on how to do it without awakening the younger man draped over him. Deciding on the easiest solution that came to mind, Shiro gently unwrapped tanned arms from around his chest and slid up to a sitting position. He then lay Ichigo back down in his lap.

Mumbling faintly, Ichigo settled himself half on and half off Shiro's lap; tangling his legs with Shiro's while he rewrapped his arms around a lithe waist, rubbing his cheek on a covered thigh. Shiro breathed a sigh of relief that his consort didn't awaken and grinned triumphantly that he had achieved being able to remain in Ichigo's embrace and yet still be able to sit up and talk with his generals when they eventually arrived.

Shiro pulled the blanket up to Ichigo's shoulders from where it had been previously resting on tan hips. He trusted Ulquiorra to barely even glance at Ichigo, but Grimmjow was newer and Shiro didn't yet trust him enough to allow him to see too much of the younger man than absolutely necessary. Twining pale fingers in orange tresses absently, Shiro thought about his fateful meeting with his consort.

A battalion had been about to raid an enemy town but couldn't get through the passage that led to the small village that lied in the mountain valley. The only thing blocking their way had been Ichigo. He had been eighteen then and refused to move aside and let the soldiers into his home. When they had tried to use force, the fiery orange haired teen had beat them back one at a time until they were forced to retreat due to injury.

It had been humiliating. A single teenager had beaten a squad of specially trained soldiers with only a single stolen sword. Even after they had retreated, Ichigo had still stood there unscathed, guarding the passage to his village. When his soldiers returned to camp, Shiro had found it incredibly amusing that some mysterious teen could possibly beat his soldiers so badly. He became very interested in the "fire-eyed" teen he heard so much about.

Shiro had left the camp in secret that night and gone to meet the orange-head, expecting to find anything else but what he actually found. After only talking with the fiery teenager for only five minutes, Shiro knew that Ichigo was the one he wanted to be his consort.

The army stayed in position for a few days, the men forbidden to attack the village again under the pretense of they were going to wait to leave as soon as their injuries were healed. During those nights, Shiro went and talked to Ichigo every night in secrecy. He could tell by the third visit, Ichigo was looking forward to seeing him.

Shiro leaned why Ichigo wanted to protect his home so badly. Their village had been raided before, killing both his parents and leaving him to care for his two younger sisters. The albino knew that Ichigo would give up his life without hesitation to protect his remaining family.

The next night, Shiro asked Ichigo to leave with him. He would place good loyal troops here to protect his home and he could come back anytime he wanted to visit. Shiro could see that Ichigo really did want to go with him but his responsibility to his sisters held him back. Very reluctantly, the next day, Shiro's forces were beginning to leave the mountain valley when screams were heard coming from the town.

A scout came and told the albino that a group of murdering bandits was plundering the village from a secret entrance, on the opposite side of the valley from where the orange haired protector had been standing guard. Fear for Ichigo drove Shiro to momentarily abandon his startled troops and race to Ichigo's side. Since Ichigo had still been at the entrance and the bandits had come from across the valley, they had gotten to the village first and ravaged it.

Shiro had heard Ichigo's scream of anguish and arrived in time to save him from being killed by two thieves while the teen mourned the loss of his sisters. Shiro's soldiers had followed soon after their leader and cleansed the town of the murderers but the damage had been done. Everyone in the village, except Ichigo, had been killed. The albino had comforted the orange-head as he mourned the loss of his family, his home, and his life.

After the villagers had been given a proper burial, Shiro had offered to take Ichigo to the next village where he could start anew. Ichigo had just looked at him and smiled sadly. "Stupid," He had said. "I'm staying with you."

Shiro had been surprised, but then realized that nothing was holding the teen back anymore so Ichigo could stay with him. The albino was overjoyed but wished Ichigo hadn't had to lose his family to be with him. The soldiers were surprised that Ichigo was coming with them, and even more so when he seemed glued to Shiro.

None understood but eventually accepted it. Along the way back to Shiro's palace, several soldiers had been killed. They'd tried to get revenge from when Ichigo had beaten them and when Shiro had found out their intentions, killed them with his own hands as punishment for even attempting to carry out their plans against his new consort. Thus, they accepted it.

One year had passed since then, and Ichigo had not left his sight for more than an hour.

A soft tap on the tent's entrance jerked Shiro from his musings of the past. His two generals entered when the albino gave them permission. They bowed at the waist and then straightened to address Shiro properly.

"Shirosaki-sama. Here are the maps that we acquired from spies behind enemy lines." Ulquiorra spoke softly, stepping up to the side of the bed.

Shiro took the maps, and green-eyed raven haired male stepped back to wait for the albino to start strategizing. The monotone general elbowed his blue haired partner sharply in the side when he saw Grimmjow staring at the sleeping Ichigo in Shiro's lap. The taller, tank-like man hissed in pain and surprise, now turning to glare down at the smaller man beside him. Ulquiorra shook his head slightly, giving Grimmjow a silent warning to keep his eyes off of Ichigo, unless he wanted them plucked out of his skull.

Luckily for the teal haired general, Shiro was too engrossed in the maps to notice the silent exchange. Rubbing his sore side, Grimmjow reluctantly took his eyes away from Ichigo and focused on Shiro. The strategy meeting passed as boringly as Shiro had expected.

Once, when Grimmjow had spoken too loudly, Ichigo had stirred. The two generals froze (mostly Grimmjow because Ulquiorra was motionless anyways) and held their breath as the albino stoked his consort's hair, encouraging him to stay asleep. Ichigo had settled with a small sigh, face pressed against Shiro's hip as he stayed soundly asleep.

The albino's glare clearly said 'you're lucky he didn't wake up' and Grimmjow swallowed nervously. He bowed and apologized quickly, glaring at Ulquiorra whose expression clearly looked like 'I told you so!'

The meeting continued without further incident.

With the attack fully planned to the last man, the two generals bowed and turned to leave the tent; Ulquiorra literally pushing Grimmjow out so he wouldn't be seen staring at the still sleeping Ichigo and the army would be short one general. Shiro luckily didn't notice again, too intent on the vivid orange hair his slim fingers were tangled in.

Moving slowly, the albino slid back down, moving Ichigo's grip up from his hips back to around his chest, nuzzling his consort's hair. Shiro smirked in amusement that he'd gone through a whole thirty minutes worth of a meeting and through all the noise and movement, Ichigo still slept on. What a delight his beloved consort actually was.

This was ultimately my most popular and longest early one-shots and I was ecstatic that so many people liked it, that I hope they like it even more now that its slightly better developed and everything ^^ Please review m'loves!