Tales of a Broken Society: Three Couples That Rocked Soul Society

Title: Three Pairings That Shocked Soul Society

Pairing(s): Renji/Rikichi, Ikkaku/Shuuhei, Kenpachi/Byakuya

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or the characters of Bleach. I'm just borrowing them for some fun. That's all.

Summary: Sometimes, a pairing can be expected but still shocking. Ichigo still laughs.

Requester: Anon

AN: Please note that this has been up on my AFF.net account (link found on my profile). The smut isn't here. I'm not taking the chance. Got it?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

No one outside of the rather close circle of friends could understand why the now permanent Shinigami Ichigo willingly submitted to the ice taichio. Surely Ichigo with his immense amount of power could make Hitsugaya submit to him. But he never once tried in the eight months that the two had been together.

They watched the two like eagles while those who knew what was going on just smiled and dragged the observers, and those who were just plain snooping, off.

It wasn't long thought before they understood why Ichigo submitted to Hitsugaya so easily. It was because he wanted to submit and be the weaker one. He wanted to be the one to just let go of it all and not have to be strong. To be the idol he had become to so many wore on him, drove him down; made him weary and he wanted to be able to forget for a time.

And his willing submission to Hitsugaya let him do that. He wasn't the strong one, he wasn't expected to be. When their bedroom door closed, he was Toshiros pet, collar already around his neck. All that was expected from him was he to obey his master's orders and enjoy the pleasure.

No one but those two knew what really happened behind closed doors though. No one knew the tender moments where they just relaxed in their bathtub or on the bed. Those moments where they just relaxed usually lead to very slow, very tender sex. But some nights they just enjoyed the warmth of each other.

When they had time off and were free of any paper work, they would find each other and go to a private place and enjoy some alone time with each other.

That's where one very nosy Momo found them one day. She really didn't understand why her Whity-chan could be so interested in some guy and not her.

Bounding onto the wall near the two's favorite place to spend time with each other, she quickly hid behind a pillar. Ichigo was sprawled out on a blanket with his head in Hitsugayas lap, the other man sitting against the tree they were under. The light green collar that the orange haired shinigami wore glittered lightly, the sun playing over it.

“What do you want for dinner tonight?” Ichigo asked suddenly, his voice floating on the wind.

“Do we have anything for sushi?” Hitsugaya asked his lover, gently carding his fingers through soft strands of hair.

“Hai, we do. Want Miso and squid too?” the smaller male asked in return, tilting his head into the touch with a sigh.

“Hai, that sounds good to me,” Hitsugaya hummed, smiling at his lover. Not many knew that the man could cook and the ice shinigami liked it that way. It was something he and only he knew.

“I'll have to stop at the market for some sticky rice,” the smaller shinigami mused, purring as Hitsugayas hand gently tugs on his short hair before smoothing it out.

“Why?” the taichio asked, moving to put the book in his other hand aside.

“We have some, but not a lot. We'll have to go shopping this weekend. Do you want to do it in the real world?” Ichigo asked. Hitsugaya smiled down at his lover knowing he wanted to see his family again.

“Yeah, that sounds fine,” the ice shinigami replied, feeling Momo's reitsu leave. Smiling some more, he hoped that she finally understood that he was content with his lover and wasn't going to change that no matter how much she wanted him to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That weekend, he and Ichigo were on their way towards the Kurosaki clinic after having grabbed their gigais from Urahara. Hitsugaya was trying to figure out where he had felt the energy he could detect as they got closer to the Kurosaki home. Ichigo bounced a bit and tugged on his hand, pulling him closer to his side.

“What's on your mind?” Ichigo asked, tilting his head up to look at his taller lover. He knew that the other could feel things easier then him and as they got closer to the clinic, the more twitchy his lover and master became.

“I think I recognize the reitsu that I'm feeling,” Hitsugaya says, looking down slightly at Ichigo, his eyes dark with worry. “It's from when I first became a shinigami. The one who had it disappeared a little less than nineteen years ago.”

“That would have been about the time mom became pregnant with me,” Ichigo mused as they walked up to the front door, blinking several times at seeing his father standing there, staring at them.

“I figured as much. Let me guess, you never told your children, or your wife just who you were,” Hitsugaya says, making Ichigo look up at him with a mixture of confusion and worry on his face.

“Nope. I had hoped that I would never have to,” Isshin said in response, an eyebrow rising as Ichigo growled softly at his father.

“Can someone tell the only clueless one what the hell is going on?” he finally asks the two, drawing their gazes to him.

“Come on in you two. I'll tell you, Ichigo though I should have told you when that perverted shop owner started to train you,” Isshin says, smiling at the still visible contentment that was under the irritation on Ichigos face.

“Fine,” Ichigo huffed, walking into the house, taking off his shoes with Hitsugaya next to him. Showing his lover where the living room was, he moved off to the kitchen, saying something about needing tea, leaving the other two to stare at each other.

It wasn't long before the strawberry was serving the tea to them and giving his father a `spill it [i]all[/i] or be gutted' look.

“Ichigo, have you ever wondered just where your shinigami gifts come from?” Isshin asks as he watches the two on the couch. From the subtle shifting closer to the gentle looks thrown at each other, he idly wondered how he could miss his son falling in love.

“Not really. I mean, I really haven't had time to contemplate the whys or hows,” Ichigo admits, blushing behind his tea cup.

“And you don't wonder why when you're alone with Hitsugaya?” Isshin leers at them, causing the ice shinigamis eyebrow to twitch and make Ichigo contemplate patricide.

“He's usually a puddle of moaning goo when he's with me,” Hitsugaya drawls softly, causing Ichigo to choke on the sip of tea and send a glare at his lover. The taller of the two simple gave him a loving look that made a new flush of red slid over his lover's cheeks.

“Shush. Now…what does all of this have to do with you, dad?” Ichigo asked, putting his cup down, having a feeling he would be dropping it if he had it in his hands when his father finally spilled.

“Ichigo, when I meet your mother, I was a Taichio for Soul Society. I was a shinigami but willingly gave it all up for your mom,” Isshin says finally, his voice soft as he stared at his son who blinked a few times as he tried to process it all. “I had Urahara make me a gigai that would hide or suppress my reitsu so I could be with her. Then, I just left one night, probably leaving them wondering what the hell happened to me.”

“Actually, yeah, they did. They thought you were carted off by some slave traders or something,” Hitsugaya says, sipping his tea before playing with a bit of Ichigos hair gently, trying to sooth his lover.

“So you mean to tell me that you've been a shinigami all of this time? You kept this secret from me all this time why?” Ichigo asked, his voice nearly as cold as his lover's bankai. “You never thought to tell me just [i]where[/i] my powers came from? True, you wouldn't have been able to stop me, but it still would have been nice to know this while I was fighting hollows.”

“I know,” Isshin said, sighing softly as Hitsugaya moved to comfort his lover even more. “I don't really have an excuse. I kept hoping that you would give it up and leave it be. But I knew you wouldn't, especially since you keep disappearing to take care of business always trying to protect everyone.”

Ichigo sighed softly as he nuzzled close to his lover, his fingers lacing with Hitsugayas. He knew that his father was right. He had been busy, with the war coming full swing and learning everything he could, both about the enemies and about being a shinigami.

“You still should have told me when I started,” Ichigo said softly, his eyes boring into his fathers.

“Yes, I know that now. But hindsight is 20/20 after all,” the older man replies, smiling softly at his son. “Now tell me everything that has happened to you since you started.”