Bleach 1. The Unlikely House Guest

**So, this was a requested piece from **_**animejunki**_**, I hope you enjoy it and where this story is going to go. And once again my friend, thanks for the fantastic idea, I hope I can do it justice!**

**Chapter One:**

Aizen was a man who was rarely surprised by anything, yet he found himself surprised at this very moment having learned that he was no longer going to be confined in Muken. He was going to have his powers sealed instead, and then he was going to be shipped off to the World of the Living as punishment.

He had no idea how or why they had come to the conclusion that this punishment was better than 20,000 years in the deepest cell they had at their disposal, but regardless they had decided this.

His only uncovered eye flicked to the side as he heard the large, heavy doors grinding open and allowing light to pool down the stairs into the circular judgement room of Central 46. A shadow appeared in the square block of light which had fallen conveniently beside the seat he would bound to and his eyes narrowed as he recognised the reiatsu of the Shinigami.

Urahara Kisuke's face appeared in front of him and he glowered as best he could, balling a fist despite the painfully tight black binds around his body; he knew not whether the blond had noticed, but he didn't seem afraid and he didn't flinch either.

"Aizen Sousuke, your powers will be bound and you will be made to live as a human. You have been assigned to live with someone who can control you and keep you in check. Kurosaki Ichigo." One of the 46 announced.

Aizen's eye widened momentarily at the knowledge that Ichigo had accepted the role before he watched as Urahara flourished a silver metal star shaped device.

He smirked inwardly, loathing the pity in the slate grey eyes of the blond man, as a Third Seat he had seduced Urahara into his bed for the sole purpose of discovering his experiment plans surrounding the Hogyuku; he had _enjoyed_ their time together but in the end the man had been nothing more than a means to an end.

"This will hurt... Brace yourself Aizen-san." Urahara warned before he pressed the star shaped device against the man's chest, just over the Hogyuku.

The room was filled with a blinding blue light, followed shortly by Aizen's reluctant screams of pain.

-/-

Ichigo yawned and slurped a mouthful of coffee as he waved a patient away; he looked at the dark night-time sky and wondered briefly what his Goat-Faced father was up to.

It had been two weeks since Isshin had taken Yuzu and Karin on holiday; it had been Ichigo's suggestion after sitting down with the man and informing him of his... Duty.

Babysitter to Aizen Sousuke. That was the job description. He had agreed without hesitation when Central 46 had summoned him and asked him to take the job. Perhaps there was a way that he could help him, perhaps he could heal his soul in some way... Maybe that was egotistical to think such a thing but it was a gut instinct, a gut feeling that he couldn't ignore.

He was about to close the door when he sensed a Senkaimon opening nearby; he sucked in a breath as he felt Urahara's reiatsu appearing alongside a feeble human one.

Only moments later, the blond appeared at the end of the garden path, carrying an unconscious brunet in his arms. Ichigo swallowed and rushed out to meet him, opening the gate and checking Aizen over.

The man had a split lip and a deep cut above his eyebrow; he was sporting an impressive black eye and he was completely unconscious.

"Bring him through to the Clinic please Urahara-san." The strawberry murmured before he turned on his heel and hurried into the house, unlocking the adjacent door which led to the Kurosaki Clinic before he gestured for the blond to go inside.

Urahara cast a glance around the room before he laid Aizen's unconscious form on one of the beds, watching as Ichigo followed him and slipped on a white coat and snapped on a pair of latex gloves before he began checking his injuries over.

"What happened?" he asked as he unfastened his white kosode and pulled it open, freezing as he saw the purple bruises which had blossomed across his ribs and abdomen.

"Some... Shinigami were opposed to his punishment and decided to deal out their own kind. There were too many of them for me to stop and some hits got through. He passed out after the blow to the head." The blond answered as he watched him work, "Where is Isshin?"

He sighed, "He took the girls on holiday to get them away from... This. He left a ticket for you behind the biscuit tin so that you could join them there whenever you arrived."

"Oh... That was thoughtful of him." The blond smiled slightly.

"No need to sound so surprised, I know you are a couple." Ichigo flashed a small smile before he began cleaning his cuts with antiseptic covered cotton wool balls.

Kisuke flushed scarlet but concealed it as he lowered his head, hiding behind his hat's rim, it was... Embarrassing that Ichigo knew about their relationship, but at the same time it was nice that it was out in the open.

"Okay, he's got two broken ribs, I'll bind them up with bandages... But what is that?" he asked as he pointed to the star shaped burn mark in the centre of the man's chest.

"Ah that, that is where we drew his reiatsu from, the mark will remain there until such a time when his reiatsu is returned to him. Speaking of which, it was bound into this sword; I need you to keep hold of it and conceal it somewhere safe. He cannot be allowed to find it or else the entire purpose of this exercise will be ruined." The man answered as he held up a simple katana.

Ichigo looked at the sword for a moment, the hilt was a foot long green wrapped item; the blade was sheathed within a moss green casing which had an intricate silver patterning running up and down it.

"I can keep it safe." He promised as he reached over and took it, tucking it under his arm before he finished cleaning Aizen up. He threw a bed sheet over him and placed a pillow under his head, "Alright, he'll probably be out of it for a few hours. Let's grab a drink and we can talk."

The strawberry led Urahara from the Clinic, dimming the lights so that Aizen could rest in peace, before he shut the door and led the man into the kitchen. Putting the kettle on to boil, he quickly set up two cups of tea.

"So... Am I in any danger from being attacked for hiding him here?" he asked nonchalantly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well... People attacked him on the way out of Soul Society, what is to stop them from coming after him here and me having to get between them?" he explained.

"Ah, it is okay, only the senior members of the Gotei 13 know about his presence, Captain and Vice Captains; as well as myself and Yoruichi-san, oh and the Vizards. No one else knows though, they won't be able to track him because his reiatsu is so low, so you should be safe. Theoretically." Urahara answered with a laugh.

"Theoretically? Great," he sighed, "I agreed to this so... I just have to get on with it now. Oh, how long is he staying for? No one told me."

"Let's... Discuss that another time." He chuckled.

"Huh, that bad is it?" Ichigo handed him a mug of tea and leaned against the counter, sipping his drink and running his hand through his hair, "Maybe... I dunno maybe it will be nice having him here. Maybe I can do something to help him... Maybe that's bigheaded but it is what I feel, I've gone toe to toe with the guy... I feel like I _get_ him, like I _understand_ him. If that's even possible."

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't," the blond looked down into his drink, "If you can understand anything about him it will be a miracle, but at the same time I think if anyone can understand him it would be you. You are the strongest Shinigami the world has seen, stronger than Aizen even... If anyone can understand a man like him it would be a man like you. And I wish you the best of luck, Ichigo. Now... Pass me my ticket please!"

Ichigo laughed, considering his words as he handed over the unsealed envelope which contained the ticket his dad had left for him. It wasn't long after that Urahara left, his drink only have drunk.

Now that he was alone, Ichigo took the time to conceal the sword; making sure that it went somewhere that Aizen wouldn't think of. At least he hoped that he wouldn't. And then, he went back into the Clinic and picked up his book, reclining on one of the other beds as he watched Aizen sleeping.

What was the worst that could happen?


	2. Ground Rules, Or Lack Of

**Thanks for the great response to chapter one, I hope you enjoy the follow up :)**

**Chapter Two:**

When Aizen woke, he was in darkness yet he was warm and comfortable despite the injuries he could feel budding beneath the bed sheets he was tangled within.

Taking a moment to assess his situation he came to the conclusion that he was no longer in Soul Society; inhaling as deeply as his bruised ribs would allow him to, he was able to detect hints of sandalwood and strawberry shampoo mixed with an undertone of coffee and mints.

He knew that concoction of scents all too well; he was in Kurosaki Ichigo's residence. He tried to sense the youth's reiatsu, but he sighed as he realised he couldn't and finally came to the understanding that his reiatsu had been taken from him along with his Shinigami powers. He was human now.

Anger tingled through his body like liquid fire, igniting his full fury in seconds as he considered the utter humiliation of having been reduced to something as pathetic and menial as a mere human. He had reached the pinnacle of his power only to be thwarted by... By...

He sat up suddenly and found his gaze drawn to the sleeping figure in the chair near his bed, a book was clasped loosely in his hand and had fallen onto his chest during the course of sleep; the lax expression which was missing its usual scowl was most surprisingly calm and placid, yet Ichigo's hair was as tousled and uncontrolled as ever, his orange locks were long as they had been after spending time in the Precipice World training before their final battle.

There was no denying that he was an especially attractive specimen of male humanity, his kindly nature was untainted by his rise in power, and he had never once lost sight of whom he was and where he had come from; his purpose and his reason for fighting.

Aizen had known about him from the day of his birth, Kurosaki Ichigo would be the greatest experiment he ever had the pleasure of meddling with. And yet his meddling had been his downfall. The man sat asleep before him was strong, unbelievably strong. He was like a God, shaped by his own hands and in his own image. Ichigo was everything Aizen had wanted to be, and it was both sickening and illuminating. While he had strived for power and dominance, Ichigo had been naturally gifted with it all. A God amongst mere mortals.

Jealousy tinged with admiration collared his anger and made it sink back into the hole it had burst free from as he watched the strawberry haired youth sleeping. He still felt immense shame at having been defeated by such a young man as him, yet he couldn't help but feel as though if he had had to have been defeated by anyone, he would have chosen it to be Ichigo.

Sliding off the bed slowly, Aizen realised that he had been undressed at some point; he instantly smirked, wondering what the youth had thought while stripping him and whether or not he had appraised his body.

In all the years he had spent watching Ichigo grow, he had never been able to distinguish his sexuality. It was clear that more than one of his human friends had feelings for him; and it was even clearer than a few of his Shinigami friends did too. But the boy seemed so oblivious to it all. Something which both hurt and infuriated the friends previous mentioned.

The perfect example of this was the Orihime child whom he had ordered to be kidnapped by Ulquiorra. The girl spent her days trying to look sweet and adorable, brushing up against Ichigo and flourishing her rather buxom chest at him - but he never even batted an eyelid at her. Indeed he had gone as far as to defy the Head Captain and infiltrate Hueco Mundo to save her from her dreaded fate, but that didn't mean he loved her. He had seen the Orihime child getting more and more jealous of the Kuchiki girl who Ichigo seemed to pay more attention too, it had been most amusing.

Kuchiki Rukia, who was one of the Shinigami he had identified as having had a crush on the hero of the hour, she took the 'treat them mean keep them keen' approach, or so he thought, what with the amount of times she practiced striking Ichigo. But from what he had seen, Ichigo saw her as nothing more than friend, perhaps a sister at the most. True enough he had stormed Soul Society to stop her from being executed but he had said himself it was because he 'owed her', not because he was in love with her anymore than he was with the Orihime child.

Of his other human friends, Aizen had identified another female with interests in the youth, a young woman by the name of Tatsuki, whom had grown up with Ichigo and was like a sibling to him. He could never be sure whether or not the girl was genuinely interested in Ichigo, or Inoue, the girl seemed incredibly indecisive about her sexual preferences and he had begun to consider the fact that she might be bisexual or lesbian. Which was fine by him, he was simply curious. Either way, Ichigo didn't seem to really see her, his focus to his duties as a Soul Reaper had seen him giving less and less thought to his human friends, the ones which couldn't keep pace with him at least.

And then, he moved onto his evaluations of the men he had seen give interest in him; first of which was the Quincy boy 'Ishida' who had travelled to Hueco Mundo with him and had fought his Octava Espada. They seemed to have something of a love hate relationship, which he found fascinating and the main reason he believed the Quincy had feelings for Ichigo was because he proclaimed to loath all Shinigami and yet was always so willing to assist Ichigo, despite him being a Shinigami of all things. Yes they argued and fought, but so had Szayel and Grimmjow yet they had fucked like rabbits for years. But again, he had never seen Ichigo respond with anything except fondness and friendship; he had seemed genuinely heartbroken when he had discovered that he had stabbed his friend while in Hollow form... But it was not the heartbreak of a lover. Just a friend. Or a brother.

Abarai Renji, the tattooed baboon, clearly had feelings for Ichigo. It was just obvious, from the moment they had come together as allies for the first time and charged at him upon Sôkyoku Hill he had seen the flaring passion in the redhead's eyes; he had been loyal and unwavering as a friend, yet he had seen the longing in his eyes as he watched Ichigo grow. Not to mention the unconcealed jealousy whenever Ichigo spoke to Kuchiki Byakuya.

And there was the last person who he had suspected of having feelings for the Substitute Shinigami, none other than Kuchiki Byakuya. There weren't as many reasons for him to consider him as a contender, however the largest one was the Ichigo could fight him in combat as an equal, something which the Captain undoubtedly respected considering that there were so few people who could do it. And another thing, no one else got away with calling him by his first name without a title and without permission, and yet he constantly allowed Ichigo to do so without complaint. Indeed, Kuchiki was more obvious than the others just because of the huge difference in the way he acted.

Aizen snapped back from his revere as he heard the book Ichigo had been holding clatter to the floor; he blinked and looked back at the strawberry for a long moment before he wrapped the bed sheet around his otherwise nude body and walked over slowly, silently and cautiously.

He crouched down and picked the book up, turning it over in his hands as he squinted through the darkness and read the cover, 'Greek Mythology' and snorted slightly, he had never had him down as one to read those sorts of books. How amusing.

Standing back up, he hovered for a moment, watching the strawberry sleep so soundly. He didn't really want to wake him up yet, he should first explore the house and try to locate his powers so that he could escape and leave the World of the Living behind.

Turning away he began shuffling towards the door, the bed sheet around his waist hindering him slightly and slowing his movements, he had just reached the Clinic door when he heard someone clearing their throat and he groaned inwardly.

"Ah, I see you are finally awake," Ichigo yawned and stretched in his seat, "I wouldn't bother trying to escape if I were you, the door is locked."

"I wasn't trying to escape." He lied, "I require a visit to the bathroom."

The strawberry stood up and stretched again, "Alright, come on then, I'll show you were it is and grab you some clothes. Feel free to use the shower if you want to."

Instead of speaking, Aizen let out a small grunt and stepped back as he watched the other unlocking the door and letting him out; then he started shuffling into the hallway of the Kurosaki household and glanced around at his surroundings.

"This way." Ichigo murmured as he gestured to the stairs, leading the way to up to the second floor of his home before he opened one of the doors along the landing and stepped back as he revealed the bathroom.

"Your family aren't here then?" the brunet commented as he stepped into the family sized bathroom.

"No, Goat-Face took them on holiday." He answered before he threw him a towel from the airing cupboard and disappeared down the hallway and into one of the other rooms.

Aizen stared after him for several long minutes, surprised by his nonchalant attitude towards him and his presence in his home; he had expected more awkwardness, a few ground rules perhaps, but instead he was being treated like a house guest, and he used the term 'guest' quite lightly too.

There was definitely some undertones of mutual respect which neither of them had formerly realised they had for each other. But perhaps they now recognised each other as equally strong enemies, despite one of them no longer having powers. He would have to question him on it.

With a sigh, he stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him, deciding that first and foremost a shower and alleviation on the part of his bladder would be most welcome.

Several minutes later, after scrubbing his skin dry and discovering all the wonderfully sore bruises which he had been given before leaving Soul Society, Aizen left the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist as he padded down the hallway and opened the door to the room he had seen the strawberry disappear into.

He stopped in the doorway and stared as he watched Ichigo getting changed out of his day time clothes and into a pair of drawstring pyjama pants. His eyes roamed the dips and contours of the other's muscular back and long slender neck; he licked his lips and held back a hungry groan before he cleared his throat loudly.

Ichigo looked over his shoulder with narrowed eyes, "Ever heard of knocking?" he growled as he tied the drawstrings at the front into a small knot.

"I am unaccustomed to having to knock when I want to go somewhere." He said honestly, "I... Apologise." He added tersely.

"Right well... Start getting used to it, because if you walk in on me taking a leak or in the shower... I will rip you apart." The strawberry murmured before he ran a hand through his hair, "Right... It's five in the morning, I have school tomorrow, and I am going to be shattered."

"Where am I sleeping?" Aizen asked as he walked further into the room.

"There's a spare futon rolled up in the wardrobe, grab that and the pillows and duvet that is in there." He murmured as he sat on the edge of his bed and leaned over, setting his alarm, "Oh, and here are some pyjamas, they are my dad's size so they should fit you."

The brunet stared for a moment before he sighed and fetched the futon and bed furnishings he required, setting it up on the floor before he took the dark blue clothing from the strawberry.

"So, I find myself curious," he said as he pulled the shirt on and began buttoning it up, "You don't seem to hate me, and you willingly took the babysitting duty from Central 46... Why?"

Ichigo sighed and climbed into his bed, laying back with his arms behind his head, "Because... We fought on par and when you do that you can tell something about your enemy and your enemy's weapon. I sensed a great loneliness in Kyoka Suigetsu which you reflect as well. Because you have never known anyone as strong as you, no one who could ever stand up under your reiatsu."

"You think I care about that?!" he laughed.

"Your sword did." He stated calmly.

"So you what? You want to keep me company?" Aizen asked.

Ichigo sighed, "Just... Go to sleep."

The brunet watched in amusement as his jailor laid down and turned his back on him; he frowned slightly and sighed before he got under the covers of his futon and folded his arms over his chest.

"I know I'm meant to keep you in check, I'm meant to stop people attacking you and prevent them from killing you in recompense for your crimes... But that doesn't mean I am going to control your every movement and keep you penned in like an animal." Ichigo said suddenly, "If you want to go out, explore the town and do stuff then feel free. As long as you behave yourself and don't cause trouble I won't stop you. You've been given a second chance at having a life. Don't screw it up."

Aizen looked over at him as he fell silent and watched him for several long moments, unsure how to take his speech; it seemed strange to him that he should be allowed such freedom and he wasn't particularly certain that he wanted to trust the strawberry haired male. Still, it was good to know he could at least have some time to himself. And what happened after that was anybody's guess.


	3. Flipping Your Lid

**Thanks for the amazing reviews, I am so glad you are enjoying the story, I love the way so many of you have said how calm Ichigo and Aizen are... Well that changes for a few paragraphs here so enjoy their shouting anger!**

**Thanks again x**

**Chapter Three:**

Ichigo yawned as he stepped over Aizen's still sleeping form as he headed for the bathroom to begin his morning routine before school, gasping as his ankle was grabbed and he found himself pinned down under the brunet's taut body. He stared up at him with a scowl.

"What are you doing you son-of-a-bitch?" he asked as calmly as he could manage for the circumstances he was under.

"I apologise," Aizen said smoothly, "It was a knee-jerk reaction, I thought I was under threat."

"Then you can release me can't you?" Ichigo stated, ignoring the warmth of the breath which was gently blowing against his face and neck as well as the heat of the body pressing against his own.

"Oh yes, I suppose that is possible."

Aizen pulled back and climbed off him effortlessly, resting a hand on his hip as he stood up before he offered a smirk and lifted the strawberry to his feet, doing nothing to disguise the roaming of his eyes down his muscled chest.

Ichigo slapped his hands away from his body as soon as he was on his feet and turned on his heel, stalking out of the bedroom and into the bathroom, locking the door securely before he dared to undress and climb in the shower. He would deny until he was blue in the face that Aizen Sousuke was even mildly attractive, even if certain parts of his anatomy disagreed and awoke in the wake of being pinned down and restrained by such a man.

He allowed the water to wash away his thoughts as well as the night time grime he had ascertained, and when he climbed out of the shower and dried off he set about relieving himself and cleaning his teeth ready for the day ahead.

Upon returning to his bedroom he sidestepped the brunet as he headed for the bathroom instead; taking advantage of his time alone in his own room he got dressed in his uniform and packed his bag so that he wouldn't be distracted mid-way through.

Out of curiosity he checked his mobile, he groaned as he saw he had three texts messages; one was from Keigo, one was from Inoue and the other was from his Goat-Faced father asking how things were going.

Deciding he would answer his friend's messages face to face and opting to ignore his father for the time being he dropped the phone in his bag and picked the satchel up, slinging it over his shoulder before he headed out of the door and down the stairs, having left some clothes for his guest before leaving.

He grabbed himself some breakfast, having adjusted to Yuzu's absence and her love of cooking, he favoured simplistic things such as cereal or toast with some kind of condiment. It was practically a treat not to be plied with cooked goods first thing in the morning.

He looked up as Aizen arrived in the kitchen doorway and he pointed to the fridge, "Get whatever you want, it is nothing fancy but food is food."

"My thanks." The brunet said simply, his former playfulness having been toned down by his shower.

They sat in silence, not even really looking at each other as they ate what was dubbed the most important meal of the day, it was a peaceful and tensionless silence which was enjoyed separately by both present parties.

When he had finished, Ichigo washed his bowl and put it away, picking up his bag from where he had left it before he tossed his guest a mobile, "My number is in there, if you have any problems call me or text or whatever. I am going to school; I'll be back at four. What you do with your day is up to you on the understanding that you stay out of trouble and keep away from my friends."

"I understand perfectly." The brunet said as he pocketed the phone without looking at it.

"Good. Later." He said, waving casually before he left the room and left the house.

Aizen watched him go and finished his breakfast at his leisure - he already had plans for today, and every other day he needed to. He would wait as long as it took.

Ichigo sighed as he walked down the street, catching up with Ishida and Chad on the way before they met Inoue a little further down the street. He mostly tuned out their conversation, his thoughts lingering on the morning's events as he hoped his house guest didn't draw too much attention to himself. Whatever else happened, Aizen had to behave, or it would be back to Muken with him, or death... Either one.

By the time they reached the school gates he was in a world of his own; his friends were used to this enough that they didn't bother to interrupt him or bring him back from it until they reached their classroom to be lectured by their tutor; even then they could see that his mind was elsewhere.

The day went slowly, classes were easy considering his was more intelligent than people like Ishida and Byakuya gave him credit for, they always teased him for not using his head, but he used his head more often than they realised. It wasn't his fault if he happened to listen to his heart more often than that though.

He had noticed Ishida looking at him slightly strangely throughout the day, and he had begun to consider the fact that the Quincy had detected a very faint scent of Aizen's almost none existent reiatsu or something because his expression was increasingly dark as the day wore on. He cared very little for what the Quincy actually thought of him, but he did want to believe that their time in Hueco Mundo together had brought them closer together. It didn't help that they hadn't really spoken one on one since his Hollow form had stabbed him and almost killed him after his fight with Ulquiorra.

He had been avoiding it, what could he say? He didn't want to discuss it; he didn't want to rake it back up. The Quincy was alive, he was still kicking, and he was still as pretentious as ever, nothing had changed so there was no need to discuss it was there? Or was there? Who knew?

As Ichigo left school, having had a fairly dull and normal day without even a Hollow attack to break the day up, he paused and looked around as he found himself immersed in a gang of six youths. It wasn't an unusual sight, but it would have been nice to go one day without seeing their ugly faces.

"What do you want with me today assholes?" he asked.

"What did you say?! You're gonna fuckin' pay for that!" the apparent ringleader yelled before foolishly attacking.

He loved the fact that he could crush them like bugs, maybe it was sick and twisted and maybe it was related to his connection with Shirosaki but he really didn't care. He loved beating the living daylights out of them so that they thought thrice about coming back for a second taste of his knuckles.

And his Shinigami training had done nothing if not sharpened his skills, if he could fight Aizen Sousuke one on one he could damn well fight six on one in human form.

Of course, it would have been nice if they hadn't brought weapons. A baseball bat, a broken metal pole, a bottle, and a pen knife. They really were assholes and he wondered briefly what he had done to encourage this sort of hatred, surely it wasn't simply his hair colour anymore?

He ducked under the swing of the bat and reached up, wrapping his fingers around the attacker's wrist before he pounced, head-butting him and breaking his nose at the same time as he twisted his wrist and snapped the main bone before he kicked the baseball bat aside and narrowly missed behind hit over the head with the bottle, smirking as the idiot hit his friend instead and shattered the glass completely. A rough elbow to his ribs and a knee to his crotch sent him crawling off after his stupid friend.

The guy with the pole was a bit more experienced and he actually managed to hit Ichigo around the back, iliciting a cry of pain before the strawberry went into a bit of a range mode and threw him to the floor, dislocating his shoulder from the socket before he stood on his shin and bruised the muscles, hissing as a blade whistled through air beside his face and cut his cheek; abandoning the guy with the pole in exchange for the kid with the blade who could actually seriously hurt him, he lunged, wrestling with the kid as the knife tossed and turned between them.

He swung around and kicked his legs out from under him, stomping on his abdomen before he snatched the knife from him and broke it clean in two while glaring murderously at the kid, he trod a little harder before kicking him in the face, picking up his bag and walking away.

Ichigo wiped his cheek and snorted, stupid kids thinking they could take him on. He wasn't arrogant, he just knew what he was capable of; his eyes flicked to the side as his Quincy friend appeared beside him suddenly and he sighed.

"Thanks for the help back there."

"You looked like you were having fun, Kurosaki, I didn't want to interrupt." He answered.

Ichigo scoffed, "Whatever. What's your deal Ishida? You've been glowering all day long. You've obviously got a stick up your ass about something so you had best spill."

The Quincy hesitated before speaking, "Urahara dropped by my place last night to talk to my Dad, I overheard them talking. Is Aizen really staying with you?"

"Damn, Urahara's got a big mouth as ever." He sighed, "Yeah, Aizen's at my place."

"Do you think it wise?" he asked, unfazed by the truth of the matter, "What if he is planning something?"

"He probably is planning something, that is what Aizen does isn't it?" he sighed, "The point is, Central 46 asked me to do this so I am doing it."

Ishida rolled his eyes, "Like you haven't done enough for them already. Shinigami ask too much."

"Whatever. You happy with my explanation or do you need more information?"

"Kurosaki, I am merely concerned for your safety, there is no need to bite my head off you know?" the Quincy said softly, reaching up and touching his shoulder, "I'm your friend. Okay?"

"Yeah I... Sorry Ishida. I had a late night, the Clinic over ran and then Urahara brought Aizen around and... I'm just over tired." He smiled weakly and patted his hand, "Thanks."

They parted ways near to Ichigo's home, the strawberry sighed and hung around outside for a few moments as he finally took the time to answer his father's text message, only answering with a few short words mind you. He then took in a breath and tried to prepare himself for a torturous night of babysitting the criminal. Maybe it would be as bad as he thought.

He shut the front door behind him and slipped his shoes off; a frown formed on his face as he saw several pieces of paper strewn across the floor which hadn't been there that morning.

He stuck his head into the lounge and was taken aback by the sight beyond, it had been completely wrecked, the sofa had been over turned, the cushions ripped off and torn open while the bookcase had been thrown to the floor and the books decimated in a frenzy examination.

The kitchen was just as bad, pots and pans were thrown left, right and centre while the fridge had been left open with various articles of food dribbled over the counters; the cupboards had almost had been torn off their hinges and the contents spewed onto the usually spotless floor.

A quick check of the Clinic showed that it had been untouched, probably because of the door being locked, but it certainly suggested that the person had a vendetta.

He ran upstairs and was about to check his sister's room when he heard a crash and a bang from his own; he half sprinted down the hallway and threw the door open, his eyes widened as he watched Aizen ripping his mattress from the bed and throwing it across the room, raging about not being able to find 'it'.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Ichigo roared, storming over and grabbing the man's arm; his head snapped to the side as the brunet spun and slapped him hard.

"WHERE IS IT? I HAVE SEARCHED EVERY DAMNED INCH OF THIS HOUSE! WHERE IS THE SWORD?! WHERE ARE MY POWERS?!" the brunet bellowed in his face, shoving him against the wall.

"LIKE HELL AM I GIVING IT TO YOU! EVEN LESS SO AFTER THIS! IS THIS HOW YOU THANK SOMEONE FOR SAVING YOUR ASS?!" he snapped, "YOU UNGRATEFUL BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU WRECK MY HOUSE LIKE THIS! I TRUSTED YOU!"

"WELL MORE FOOL YOU!" Aizen barked, slapping him again, "WHY WOULD I EVER THANK YOU?! IT IS BECAUSE OF YOU AGREEING TO THEM THAT THEY TOOK MY POWERS!"

"AND THAT MEANT THAT DIDN'T IMPRISON YOU FOR 20,000 YEARS!" Ichigo shrieked, "YOU LOST YOUR POWERS BECAUSE THIS WAY YOU CAN ATONE FOR YOUR SINS AND HAVE THEM RETURNED TO YOU WHEN I DEEM FITTING! I WAS NEVER GOING TO KEEP THEM FROM YOU FOREVER!"

"WH- What?" he asked, his voice dropping several decibels at the news.

Ichigo panted slightly and licked his lips, "I was never going to make you stay this way forever. I was going to let you prove yourself to me, and then when I was certain you could be trusted, when I thought you had rehabilitated I was going to return your powers to you."

Aizen stared for a moment before he frowned, "Why would you do that?"

"Because, you stupid idiot, I nearly lost my powers fighting you. By rights when I used the Final Getsuga Tenshou I should have been stripped of my Shinigami powers completely, left human without any sight or sense of Hollows or Soul Reapers..."

"Then, how did you not lose them?" he asked in confusion.

"The voice of the Hogyuku called to me on that day... It recognised my power and my determination and it called out to me," the strawberry told him honestly, "I heard it. And I cannot forget it. Its voice haunts me like a bad dream which I can't shake... I am both afraid and in awe of it."

"The Hogyuku stopped you from losing your powers because it was what your heart desired?" Aizen questioned.

"Yes." He agreed, "I would have lost everything if it hadn't been for the Hogyuku so... I understand... I get it."

"And I understand what you mean also... I believed I could master the Hogyuku but its voice was so strong and loud in my head... I dream about it, even in my waking hours." He sighed and pulled away, turning from him, "I... I cannot live like this... This human body is so restricting and so powerless... I feel weak."

"You will adjust, but I cannot give you your powers back like this. I'm sorry Aizen, but please just trust me, if you prove yourself then it will be sooner rather than later that you are allowed them back, but you cannot get them back by acting like this all the time! This is madness!"

The brunet slumped slightly, "I agree, it is madness but I was out of my mind. I thought that if I found them and took them back everything would be alright again and this nightmare would be over before it had truly begun but... things rarely work the way we want them to. I have been foolish."

Ichigo sighed heavily and put his mattress back where it belonged before he looked at him again, "Help me clean up the house, and then we can talk if you want to."

"Talk?"

"Yes, it might help alleviate your stress." He smiled weakly, "It normally helps people."

"I do not understand you... Even after this you treat me with a gentle hand instead of a clenched fist. Incredible." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "I... Maybe a chat would help. I am unused to needing to talk though so it may take a while."

"I have all the time in the world."


	4. Duty Before Honour

**Thanks so much for the support and the lovely reviews! Here's to the next chapter!**

**Chapter Four:**

Ichigo sat down on his bed, finally having finished cleaning the house up after Aizen's rampage; he let out a sigh and offered the man a cup of steaming tea, he couldn't help but recall Inoue telling him all about Aizen's civility when it came to the beverage. He felt his heart warm at the slightly gently and thankful smile he received in return before he sat back against the headboard and stretched his long legs out in front of him.

The brunet sat at the end of the bed, crossing his legs as he rested his back against the wall as he waited for the drink to cool down somewhat before he dared taking a sip.

They sat in silence for several long minutes, Ichigo could tell that Aizen hadn't been joking when he said it would take a while for him to talk; he understood, he was a proud man who rarely if ever needed to rely on another person; having to _talk_ to them about his feelings or his thoughts would be degrading and belittling for him until he got used to it and grew to be comfortable with it.

"How was... School?" Aizen asked suddenly, his voice was somewhat uncertain, as though he wasn't sure whether or not it was acceptable to ask such a question.

"It was good thanks, pretty mundane compared to fighting Hollows, and invading different worlds but you know how it is... Not every day can be an adventure right?" he answered gently, taking a mouthful of his drink.

"No, no I suppose that is true." He teased, "How do you cope with the mundane? After all the things you have seen and done, as a mere human, do you not find yourself longing for action?"

"Of course I do," the strawberry sighed, "Sometimes it drives me insane to think that I am sitting back with nothing more or less to do than homework for some teacher who has no idea what the real world is like. Everything I have seen, the battle's I have fought, the worlds I have travelled to and no one has any idea. They don't know what it is like and they never will..." he closed his eyes, "I wouldn't change it for the world though, this is what I was born to do. I have always wanted to protect people and now I have the strength and experience to do it. Mundane is just a small price to pay."

Aizen watched him with interest as he spoke so openly, not having expected the truth from his lip so easily, "Hm, I suppose that is true. It is hard for me to imagine because I am the exact opposite, the battles and the wars have been my whole life, and now I am thrust into a position of weakness and normality, normality which by its own nature is foreign to me in every way and aspect."

"That is understandable. You just need to learn to adapt, you are an intelligent man Aizen, I am sure you will manage it without trouble before long." He smiled courteously and drank some of his tea again, "Got into another fight outside the school..." he added as an afterthought as he recalled the bruises and cuts covering him.

"What? You were attacked?"

Ichigo stood up and removed his shirt, showing him the blossoming bruises of purple and blue that were covering his torso, "I gave as good as I got, though I take it as a personal insult when they decide to bring knives to the party."

"Knives? They meant to do you real harm then?" he questioned with a growing scowl.

"Of course they meant to do me real hard, they always do; they always bring some kind of weapon to the event in the end when they figure out that they can't beat me the conventional way." He shrugged and sat on the edge of the bed, inspecting himself cautiously.

"That is very unprofessional," the brunet muttered, "Even I have respect for my opponent, I will not strike them down unless they have a weapon to defend themselves with in their hand."

"I know, that was one of the things I respected about you," the strawberry admitted with a sheepish smile, "Not to mention your fighting style is... Awesome. I was analysing you when we fought and it was like nothing I had ever seen before, I learned a lot just from watching you fight, I think it helped me improve a bit too." He laughed.

Aizen chuckled, "Well then, in that case you are very welcome." he bowed his head, "However your own fighting style was unlike what I have seen before; I know you originally trained under Urahara Kisuke, and I have fought that man and yet you are different to him. Normally you would expect for a student to share the fighting style of his or her master, and yet you are different to him in almost every way. You seem to have a unique talent for plucking different styles from everyone you fight and gluing them together to create your own style. You should seriously consider taking a student or pupil of your own to pass your expertise onto."

Ichigo preened under the compliment of the man, his cheeks flushing very slightly, "Haha, I'm not sure that would be a good idea, I'm not the most patient of people after all. Besides I wouldn't even know where to start!"

"Don't put yourself down, you are incredibly skilled Ichigo, and you know it deep down." He said, reaching out and touching his bare back, "You should get these cuts and bruises seen to." He added softly.

He smiled at the brunet, feeling somewhat more at ease with him, "Nah don't worry about them, I'm a quick healer. Besides when I go into Shinigami form they will be gone."

Aizen retracted his hand after a moment, the memory of the youth's soft skin lingering against his fingertips and he swallowed a little thickly, "Thank you for the talk, I think you are right; it did help."

"No problem, any time." He smiled and stood up slowly, finishing his drink before he set the cup on the bedside table, "You want some food?"

"Certainly, let me help." The brunet responded and went to get up.

"No, stay there. We can eat up here. I won't be long." Ichigo offered a smile and pulled a jumper on over his head, well aware of the usual irony of the '15' scrawled across the back of the jumper as he left the room.

His shoulder was burning from where Aizen had touched him and his heart had stuttered without reason in response to the contact. He licked his lips and shrugged the feeling off, deciding that it was the reaction of getting to know the guy better than he had done before; he felt like they had a scary amount of stuff in common, they weren't as different as they had originally believed them to be. In fact it was almost terrifying to see how alike they were in personality and characteristics; he could see why they had clashed at first.

Throwing several items of food in a wok, he began making a quick stir fry, not completely concentrating on what he was doing as a scowl formed on his face as he replayed the scene upstairs several times. He sighed and shook his head, trying to clear the images and feelings from his mind as he looked down into the wok, adding several long strips of chicken into it to cook as he fetched a couple of bowls and chopsticks.

Before long he found himself ascending the stairs towards his room and his long standing house guest. When he nudged the door open he found Aizen still sat in the same position as when he had left; he was pleased at least that the man had calmed down and was no longer attempting to bulldoze his home.

"Here." He said as he set the tray of food on the bed and sat beside him, handing him one of the bowls, "Enjoy."

"Thank you for the meal." The brunet said formally before he tucked in, making a noise of appreciation, "This is delicious."

"It is just a stir fry." He shrugged.

"I have had many in my time, but this has a certain kick to it I have not tasted before." Aizen insisted, whether out of politeness or truth Ichigo wasn't sure.

"It was my Mum's recipe," he said stiffly, "One of her favourite dishes too."

"I... I see, well thank you for making it for me, it is wonderfully tasty." He said awkwardly, knowing from his years of observation that Masaki Kurosaki was a tentative subject of discussion for the entirety of the Kurosaki family.

Ichigo nodded silently as he ate his meal, sighing inwardly as he wondered what his mother would have made of all this; undoubtedly she would have been proud of him for doing the right thing and having taken Aizen on board like he had, but what would she have really said? He could barely remember her voice anymore and it was only the large photo his father kept in the house and the few photographs he had in his photo albums which reminded him of what she looked like. Well, that and his inherited hair colour.

The strawberry finished a few moments before Aizen did and set his bowl on the side, stretching out with his feet on the floor as he rested back, watching the brunet from the corner of his eye before closing them and sighing heavily.

"So, what types of music do you like Aizen?" he asked, keeping his eyes closed as he waited for a response.

"Hm, oh, I like classical mostly and I have a perpetual hatred for jazz." He said, his lips twitching downwards as he recalled the long hours of working alongside Hirako, being slowly tortured, and driven crazy by the man's constant love for the music.

He nodded, "Hm, I figured you for a classics lover, any others?"

"A little bit of operatic, some of the more recent rock music, some sound tracks." He shrugged, "What of you?"

"To be honest... I like the same as you." He laughed, opening his eyes for a moment, "I have a love of opera music, I have been to see a couple of operas during school holidays and things, no one else I know likes them though so it is a case of saving up from my part-time jobs and going to the theatre alone." He shrugged.

"Maybe we could go together some time?" Aizen asked suddenly, "Do you have any preferences as far as your operas go? My favourite has always been the Phantom of-"

"The Opera?!" Ichigo sat up abruptly to face him, "_Seriously_?! That is my favourite one as well, I have been to see if four times, I have bookings for another show next week, I wouldn't take much to add another ticket if you wanted to see it."

"Yes, it is my favourite of all time." He nodded before smiling, "Thank you yes, I would love the see it with you."

The strawberry grinned at the news and grabbed his phone, making a quick phone call to arrange another ticket to be purchased before he handed over his bank details and paid for it straight away. A smile fixed itself on his face the entire way through the call and when he hung up he looked around at him, his chestnut coloured eyes alive with enthusiasm and excitement at the prospect of sharing the experience with someone as passionate as himself.

-/-

It was a curious thing to sit back and observe the youth as anything but an enemy, for that was all he had been for the years Aizen had spent watching his growth and progress; yet now he was able to watch him as a young man, as a person and as an equal on both an intellectual; emotional and physical level.

More than anything it was interesting to see his mannerisms, to learn his routines and the way his mind worked. Ichigo seemed a creature of habit, eating at the same time every day; going to bed and getting up at the same time morning and night; doing homework at the same time every day; having some time to himself the same time every day. The only time his schedule seemed to be disrupted was when he received a call through his Combat Pass and went off to deal with a Hollow nearby. Even then that just seemed like another part of the strawberry's daily life.

It amazed him to see someone so young being so committed to duty and purpose, yet at the same time it suited Ichigo so perfectly, it was like he had been born to be a Shinigami.

He ceased his contemplation as he considered the truth about the boys' father; Isshin was a Shinigami after all, so it made sense that he was such a dedicated Shinigami as well.

Shaking his head inwardly, the brunet looked up as they arrived outside of the theatre; he glanced at the young man beside him who had been quite for the majority of their journey and he could see Ichigo was literally buzzing with excitement.

The week which had passed since his aggressive assault upon the family household had passed without incident and he had indeed sunk into a familiar pattern of life, even having gone to the extent of finding himself a job at a large company on the outskirts of the town; although he bristled at the thought of taking orders the money was good and it meant he could offer something in return for Ichigo's kindness.

The theatre was smaller than some he had visited, yet it was cosy and warm, they had excellent seats about five rows back from the actual stage. Taking to his seat, Aizen brushed his trousers down and crossed his legs, they had about half an hour before the opera was to begin and the people were slowly trickling in to fill the remaining empty seats.

His eyes narrowed as he saw a gathered group of attendants near one of the doors, which was conveniently beside the route to the bathroom, providing the perfect distraction as far as Ichigo was concerned.

"I won't be a moment, I need to use the facilities." He told the strawberry before he stood up and exited the row with haste, a quick glance back at the young man revealed that he was far to engrossed in the aesthetics of the theatre and the props to even really notice that he had gone.

A pandemonium of swift steps led him to the group of attendants he had spied previously; a few careful words, a collection of sultry smiles and a nice bundle of cash later and he watched as one of them scurried off to do his bidding before he disappeared into the bathroom. It was nice to know he still had 'it' in him.

Only a little while later, he returned to his seat to find Ichigo examining a copy of the programme which had '_mysteriously_' been signed by all the members of the cast during his absence. He smiled slightly before he hid it and sat down, getting comfortable just as the lights began to dim.

"L-look at this!" Ichigo exclaimed quietly, "It is a _signed_ copy... A _signed_ copy! The attendant man just came and dropped it in my lap! I didn't even pay for it!"

"Oh how nice!" the brunet said, looking over the signatures with inner pride, "Did you already have a signed one?" he questioned, already knowing the answer.

"No... No I didn't I've wanted one for ages but..." he paused and looked at him suddenly, "Did you-"

Aizen glanced away for a moment as he considered whether to lie or be honest, "I... Requested it." He admitted as he looked back at him after a moment.

"Why would you do that?" Ichigo frowned, nevertheless clinging to the programme as though it was his whole world.

"Because I saw your collection of programmes in your room, you have one or two of them signed but yet not this one which is your favourite. Long story short, I thought it would be a nice thing to do." Aizen smiled weakly, "If I have offended you then I apologise, it wasn't my intention."

"No, you haven't offended me I..." he went slightly red in the face as he stumbled over his words, "Thank you. I... It means a lot."

"Then I am glad." He said simply before he sat back in his seat as the curtain rose and the opera began. He felt the young strawberry haired man tense beside him as the overture thrummed through the room; he could almost feel Ichigo's heart skip a beat in response.

He wasn't sure when it happened, he became so engrossed in the performance and the angelic sounds coming from the performers, but he realised after a while that they had moved closer together, Ichigo's hand was clenched in the material of the jacket Aizen was wearing, just above his wrist, so tightly that his knuckles were white.

A smile tickled his lips as he watched how Ichigo's lips mimicked the lines spoken by each actor and actress, the youth knew every word by heart and by song, he even managed to successfully mime the songs as they came and went, and Aizen found himself wondering what Ichigo's real singing voice was like, if he had one.

A chuckled very nearly escaped him but he silenced it in lieu of circumstance and returned his attention to the next part of the play, deciding most certainly that one way or another he would hear Ichigo singing one day.


	5. Intermediary And Obsession

**Sorry for the delay in updates, I hope this chapter is okay, it is a little bit short but it is more of a transitional piece between this section of the story and the next part, so I hope you enjoy! And as always thanks for the lovely reviews!**

**Chapter Five:**

Ichigo stepped back as he admired the signed program for the Phantom of the Opera which was now perched conspicuously among the collection of other programs he had collected over the years; it still made his heart skip as he recalled the day he had spent at the theatre with Aizen, although he couldn't fathom _why_ the man had gone to the trouble of getting him the gift.

He shrugged it off again and headed out of his bedroom, drawn by the smell of cooking which was floating up the stairs teasingly; he went to investigate and paused in the kitchen doorway as he saw Aizen at the oven wearing his sisters green apron and cooking something on the stove.

The strawberry stifled a giggle and he walked over, "Hey, what are you up to?"

"I thought I would supply some dinner for us both today, you have cooked for me every day since I arrived and I am capable of cooking myself, so I thought it would be a nice to return the favour." The brunet answered with a smile in his direction.

"Oh, thanks." He said as he leaned against the counter, "What are we having?"

"Eggs Benedict... Have you had it before?" he inquired.

"No, I've heard of it though, Ishida had some on a medical trip he took with Ryuken about six years ago. He said it was very nice and had lots of variations." He answered.

Aizen nodded, "Indeed there are many variations, I personally enjoy the 'Huevos Benedictos' which substitutes the ham used in the traditional variety for either sliced avocado or Mexican chorizo; it is topped with salsa sauce and Hollandaise sauce."

"That sounds nice... Maybe we could try that sometime?" he asked.

"Certainly, I would enjoy making it for you." He smiled.

Ichigo smiled and went and sat down, ten minutes later he was presented with the finished article which sent a growl of appreciation to his empty stomach, "This looks fabulous." He commented before picking up the fork he had been presented with and tucked in, watching as Aizen joined him and sat opposite him, apparently gauging his expression and enjoyment.

Later that day, Ichigo decided to tackle some homework he had been set; he found it distinctively more difficult than he had first anticipated as he found himself increasingly distracted by the brunet haired man he was currently sharing his home with.

Aizen had been inexplicably well behaved since their conversation precluding to his rampage around the house and their trip to the theatre. That had been just two days since their trip to the opera and they were still spending their free time discussing it.

He found himself peering at him from under his ever lengthening fringe and through his eyelashes, watching the way the man watched the television or read a book, observing the way his tongue flicked out over his lips to moistening them or seeing how he raised a hand and swept it through his tousled hair when he felt it necessary.

The more he observed the more he found himself reeled into his mannerisms and his ticks, the more he found himself engrossed and his homework forgotten by the wayside.

He wasn't sure what it was or why it was but the number of times he found himself staring was increasing daily; and every time he stared he discovered more things about the man that he had not formerly seen, like a tiny mole which sat just by the connection of Aizen's face and ear, it was no larger than a dot you might make with a felt tip pen, but regardless it was something which had otherwise gone unnoticed by him before.

"Are you alright?" Aizen asked, drawing him from his daydream.

"Yes! Sorry, yes!" he exclaimed, turning back to his books as his face reddened in the embarrassment at having been caught looking.

The brunet raised an eyebrow and threw his hand through his hair restlessly as he peeked at him from the corner of his eyes, his lips quirking towards a smile as he saw how red he had gone in the face, "What are you working on?" he asked as he leaned towards him suddenly, invading his personal space and draping an arm around the back of the couch they were occupying.

Ichigo shuffled slightly as he felt his breath on his face and cleared his throat, "An essay... For... My uh... History class..."

"Oh? History was always a favourite subject of mine. What era are you working on?" he asked.

"1800s, the reign of Queen Victory in England and the grand Empire she helped to expand with the use of trade."

"Oh, interesting era, I myself was just in my prime, newly joined to Division Five as a fifth seat," he commented, "I made several trips to the World of the Living, there were a lot of Hollows in 18th Century Britain."

Ichigo paused and looked around at him, "And you wouldn't per chance be offering to assist me would you?"

"No." He smirked, laughing as the strawberry whined like a three year old, "Of course I will assist you, let me see the paper."

Settling into an afternoon of study and bravado, the pair worked on Ichigo's essay together, something which the strawberry was increasingly grateful for as he was able to get several firsthand accounts of things which had occurred and even details about people alive at the time. He quickly figured that he would be getting a high mark for this piece of work and a smirk touched his lips as he considered rubbing it in Ishida's face.

The hours they spent working seemed to fly past, they took breaks to have cups of beverage and a quick peek of what was going on on the television; but neither of them really paused for long enough to allow the conversation to die.

Before he really knew what had happened, seven and a half pages down the line, Ichigo realised that it was getting dark outside and it was past the time he usually ate his evening meal. Finally setting his books and pens aside, he offered a sleepy smile to the brunet before he moved to go to the kitchen. He was taken off guard as Aizen moved with him and he looked at the man, his stomach erupting into flutters as their eyes locked for a moment.

"Allow me." The brunet said suddenly, moving away and disappearing into the kitchen.

"Oh... Sure." The strawberry trailed off, watching him go before he swallowed hard and rolled his eyes, shaking off the feelings before he ran upstairs to out his work away, ready to take in the next day, nice and early compared to his usual last minute stuff.

It wasn't that he was stupid he was simply _unmotivated_ and too busy saving the world from evil criminals. Like the man downstairs. He chuckled slightly as he considered how domesticated the criminal downstairs was, he had actually grown to quite enjoy his presence; fitting conversations and chats in between his school work, his part time job, his shinigami work and his work at the Clinic next door. There was no denying he was busy, but he would rather have it that way then be sat on his ass doing nothing.

For the second time that day his nostrils were assaulted by the sweet aroma of Aizen's cooking skills; hurriedly bounding down the stairs and into the kitchen, almost running the man over as it appeared he had been about to call him down.

"Haha, sorry..." he said, brushing his shirt down, "Are you done already?"

"Yes, it was a quick meal I learned while I was on active duty." He answered, gesturing for him to go to the table.

"Active duty?" he questioned as he sat down, flushing as his chair was pushed in for him.

"Yes, most seated officers above seat seven will be sent out actively within the first hundred to two hundred years of service. I was sent to Hueco Mundo with a squadron of sixty others. There was rarely time for us to sit down to a properly meal which led me to learn this recipe, it was quick to make and fast to eat." He explained.

Ichigo tilted his head curiously as he listened, nodding slowly as he spoke to him, "Huh... Well it smells sublime!"

"I certainly hope so. Enjoy."

The meal tasted as good as it looked, Ichigo barely spoke a word as he tucked into it; he watched the other out of the corner of his eye again, flushing as he saw that Aizen met his gaze and held it for several moments.

The strawberry swallowed thickly and tore his eyes away, finishing his food not long after; he stood up and washed his plate and the other items used to cook. He tensed as he felt a pair of larger hands resting on his hips and he felt heat pool in his face; he looked around slowly and saw Aizen pressed up against him, their faced barely inches apart.

"You shouldn't..." he whispered.

"Why not? You scared?" Aizen asked softly, leaning in closer until his breath was gently puffing against the younger man's face.

Ichigo swallowed hard and looked at him properly, "No." He answered, turning to face him fully before he leaned up on his toes and pressed their lips together lightly.

Aizen, although momentarily surprised, returned the kiss tenderly, brushing his fingers through the youth's hair as their meeting deepened, lips parting and tongues entwining as they pressed together and encircled one and other.

When they parted, Ichigo was red in the face and licked his lips in thought, he smiled weakly before side stepping him and hurrying from the room, his head bowed as he contained the whirlwind of emotions he was feeling, shutting himself away in his room and leave Aizen wondering where he had gone wrong.


	6. Ishida's Got A Bee In His Bonnet

**Thank you all for the wonderful reviews, and thank you for your patience, I was really stuck as to where to take this chapter, but thanks to an idea from NGBW I was able to pump this chapter out. It is a little short, but I hope you'll forgive me!**

**Chapter Six:**

Over the course of the next few weeks, Ichigo's school time table became more cluttered, and between his shifts hunting Hollows he spent very little time at home, which Aizen found much to his dismay he didn't particularly like.

To distract himself from the absence of his host, Aizen took more shifts at his place of work, bringing in decent pay packets which he found he did rather enjoy. There was something about making money he could get used to, probably because he had learned quickly that the more money a person had in the World of the Living the more powerful they were. And power was and always had been his love in life.

Opening a bank account had been a somewhat difficult task considering that he didn't have a birth certificate or any form of identification, the only thing he had was a couple of letters from his job and they weren't quite enough.

Thankfully, Ichigo had sweet talked Urahara for him, and although he hated to ask for help especially from that man, the blond had been rather helpful. He had left the Shop with a passport, birth certificate and a driving licence. Although he wasn't sure what he was meant to do with the last article considering he didn't know how to drive and didn't own a car to learn.

Still, it had made things a little easier, he was fascinated by the mannerisms of the human world, the way transactions were made with money from his job to his new bank account, and for certain the money was raking up. It was a steady increase but considering he was barely touching it the amount was getting bigger and bigger with each payday.

Even if he didn't ever convince Ichigo to give him back his powers... Perhaps there was a life to be had in this world.

-/-

Ichigo rested his chin on his hand, his tongue poking out between his lips as he concentrated on his essay; sparing a quick glance at the clock to check how long he had left he cursed as he realised he had just fifteen minutes to complete the mock test.

Since Aizen had settled in, his study periods had gone a lot smoother, and considering the man's intense knowledge his own was steadily inflating to the extent he was able to provide fresh information in his classes and express his opinions a lot better.

Needless to say, that had really rubbed Ishida's nose in it. The Quincy had never been as infuriated as he was when Ichigo began to show a sense of aptitude. He much preferred it when the man was senseless, it made him look intellectual compared to him; not that he was dim himself but he liked looking smarter than everyone else. And Ichigo's sudden intelligence was snubbing his brain power.

He had detected peculiar alterations in the man's persona: seeing him concentrate on his work; seeing him taking more notice of the people around him; seeing him smiling more often and watching him curiously as he walked with a lighter step than before. He had not seen his friend looking so light-hearted since before the death of Masaki. What on Earth had happened to change him so dramatically?

Ishida was intent upon finding out, even if he had to stalk the strawberry until he found the answers.

As such, that evening when school finished, the Quincy purposely hung back, making himself pack his books away extra slowly so that he could keep pace with Ichigo; watching him leave the classroom behind he trailed him, he knew his friend wouldn't sense his reiatsu so all he had to do was remain out of sight.

He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but the kind of changes Ichigo had displayed... Maybe he was getting laid? Either way he just wanted to know, he hated not knowing things.

The walk towards the Kurosaki Clinic seemed especially long because of his mission, having to duck and dive out of the path of the strawberry's gaze, who seemed to sense someone watching him, most annoyingly. He had forgotten that Ichigo's impressive battle experience led him to have a slight sense of his surroundings when he was in his Human form as well.

However, finally, Ishida ducked down behind a wall as Ichigo made the walk up the garden path towards the front door of the Kurosaki household. Ishida peeked over the top of the wall and watched curiously, tilting his head slightly as he watched the front door open from the inside despite the fact that he knew the entire Kurosaki family had gone on vacation and left Ichigo alone.

That was another thing he couldn't understand, if Ichigo had the house to himself for god only knows how long why was he hanging out on his own? He hadn't thrown any crazy parties and he hadn't even invited his friends over to stay for a few hours. In that sense he had completely isolated himself.

It made...no...sense...

The thought died in his mind as he watched the tall and lithely muscled figure of Aizen Sousuke step out of the front door to great the strawberry. He felt his mouth go dry as the pair exchanged smiles before the brunet leaned down and pressed a kiss against the younger's cheek before they both retreated inside the house.

"Well damn..." the Quincy breathed, "He _is_ getting laid. By the _enemy_!"

-/-

Ichigo sighed as he dropped his back in the hallway, smiling weakly at his house guest as he slid his shoes and jacket off before he plodded towards the lounge to relax.

"Is everything alright Ichigo? You look tense." The brunet offered curiously.

"Ishida followed me home," he stated, "Stupid ass probably didn't even think it was possible I had detected him."

"Your friend? The..." he paused and considered what he knew about Ichigo and his friends, "The Quincy boy, son of Ryuken and grandson of Sōken?"

"Yeah that's the one," Ichigo agreed, no longer shocked by the man's infinite knowledge of his friends, it was the normality now, "He's so up himself he doesn't even realise I have been learning to sense reiatsu."

"You have?" Aizen asked without thinking.

The strawberry flashed a smile, "It is going pretty slowly, and I can only sense reiatsu when it is really close to me, but Urahara's been pretty patient about it."

"Huh, well, congratulations. That is a big step from what you were like beforehand, and yes I realise that sounded patronizing. I apologise." He smiled and sighed as he finished talking.

"Not at all, you're right, I was hopeless at it! When we first met I couldn't sense you at all! But I was gradually improving as time went by, by the time I fought Gin in the false Karakura I was able to sense things. But only you. I could feel your reiatsu... Even when I could sense nothing else." He shrugged, "And now I am developing that! It is all good! I have the promise of a sparring match with Byakuya when I visit Soul Society next and he is going to assist me in strengthening the defences of my Bankai, and Kenpachi wants to fight me as well; I'll probably take him up on it because the Hollows that have been invading the area recently have been really weak and I need to have a bit of a challenge sometimes!"

"I am pleased you are improving so much, you should be proud of yourself I believe you were able to sense me because we were at a similar level. As much as it bruises my pride to admit it," Aizen chuckled and handed him a cup of tea as he joined him on the couch, "What are you going to tell the Quincy boy?"

Ichigo considered it for a moment, "I guess I will have to tell him the truth before he goes blabbing it around to Inoue and Chad. I know those two will understand but I would rather keep a lid on this until necessary. I'm shocked they haven't seen you on the way to and from work to be honest."

"Orihime-san did get on the same bus as me about a week ago, however I had my brief case and used it to my advantage." The brunet said truthfully, "If at any point my staying here becomes a problem just let me know, we can arrange something else."

"No, don't be stupid. I... Like having you here." He said hesitantly, "... My friends will either accept it or they won't, that's the way they are. I can see them disagreeing with my willingness to prove assistance but in the end they will accept that it is my choice to make. And they will support me. It's what we do."

Aizen nodded once, "Alright then, thank you." He smiled slightly and sipped his drink.

Ichigo opened his mouth to speak when he heard an urgent knock at the front door, "Ugh, three guesses who that it?"

"Hm... Could it possibly be..."

"Never mind." The strawberry scoffed, thrusting his mug of tea into the brunet's hand before he got up to answer the door.

Taking a breath as he rested his hand on the door handle, Ichigo gathered his courage and opened it slowly, forcing a smile as he found himself face to face with a flustered looking Quincy.

"Afternoon Ishida, did you finally detangle yourself from that wall?" he asked casually as he stepped aside and allowed his fellow student into the hallway.

"What wall?" he feigned surprise before he looked towards the lounge, "Ichigo what is going on?!"

"Not that it is anything to do with you," the strawberry breathed, "Central 46 asked me for help, and I accepted. I have a house guest, would you like to say hello?"

"No I don't want to say hello!" he exclaimed, "That man is a killer and a twisted specimen of evil!"

Shaking his head, Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose, "See this is why I didn't tell anyone. You are overreacting."

Ishida grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him in closer, "Overreacting?! Have you forgotten what that _bastard_ did to Inoue-san?! Have you forgotten what he tried to do to Kuchiki-san?! He tried to kill us all and you're... You're... _Fornicating with him_?!" he half-yelled half-hissed.

Ichigo's eyes widened in genuine surprise at his words, "F-Fornicating?! I most certainly am not!" he protested, "Besides... What business is it of yours?! I've made a choice now suck it up!"

"I saw you kiss on the doorstep!"

"No you didn't! You saw him kiss my cheek!" he snapped, "Ishida I'm doing a good thing here by helping Central 46 and by helping Aizen. I believe he can be... Rehabilitated with some assistance and that is what I am doing. I would have thought you would be all for giving people second chances considering the number of them you had!"

"What is that meant to mean?!"

Ichigo threw and hand through his hair in exasperation, "Nothing! It meant nothing... Look, Ishida, I don't want to argue with you. Just... Try to understand that I am doing this for the greater good. If you want to tell Inoue and Chad then go ahead... But none of you are going to change my mind."

"Why have you been so different?" Ishida asked suddenly, his voice slightly quieter as he nudged his glasses up his nose.

"What?"

"You've been different. Happy... Like you don't have the weight of the world on your shoulders anymore..." he paused, "Is it because of him?"

Staring slightly, the Substitute Shinigami glanced towards the lounge and then back at his friend, "Maybe, I don't know for sure. I know that, when he hasn't got his stupid power complex issues going on he is a decent man and he is a lot like me. We get along, we understand each other and... It is nice to have someone who honestly gets me hanging around."

"Just... Just be careful okay? He's still a snake, if it is profitable for him to do so he will turn on you eventually. So... Watch your back. That's all I'll say on the matter." The Quincy conceded and shrugged gently, "Inoue-san and Sado won't hear about him from me but you need to tell them, not least because of what he did to Inoue-san, she deserves to know her one time kidnapper is in town and is living with the boy she has had a crush on for years."

Blinking slightly at farewell statement, Ichigo watched as the Quincy turned on his heel and stalked out with so much as a backward glance at him. He opened and closed his mouth for several moments before he finally walked over and closed the door again.

None of that conversation had been like he had anticipated. For one, he hadn't expected Ishida to give it up so easily, he was never one to simply lie down and take things like a doormat. That entire conversation had been simply awkward and weird, not to mention abstract.

And what the hell did Ishida mean 'the boy she has had a crush on for years?' That was stupid. Inoue didn't have a crush on him, he would have noticed right?


	7. Lies: Little And Large

**New chapter at last! Sorry for the delay! Life has been an evil so and so XD Thanks for the reviews, the support and the love! Enjoy!**

**Chapter Seven:**

Ichigo sighed heavily to himself as he lifted his bag over his shoulder and left the classroom, the solid A grade on his latest paper was already burning a hole in the satchel, as well as the disbelieving glares from some of the 'smarter' assholes in his class. What was he meant to do? Feign stupidity when he actually knew the answer? Sure enough his grades had shot through the roof because of his private tutor A.K.A: Aizen Sousuke, but that wasn't to say that he had lacked intelligence for the entirety of his life. He was simply... Improved.

Nevertheless, he hardly believed that warranted the vicious death glares he was receiving in the back of his head. Simply rolling his eyes, he chose to ignore them and continued walking down the corridor, hefting his bag a little higher and smiling as he was joined by Inoue and Ishida from one classroom and Chad from another; as they walked their foursome was then joined by Keigo and Tatsuki, and later Mizuro as they all headed outside to enjoy a well earned recreational period and lunch.

It was only a few days after Ishida had stomped into his house and demanded to know what, how and when concerning Aizen's presence in the World of the Living, and he still hadn't found the right moment to explain to the others about the whole... Aizen situation. What made it more frustrating was that he could _feel_ Ishida staring at him every time they had a moment of peace, where apparently the Quincy believed such conversation could be implanted. It just so happened that his idea of the correct timing for that kind of chat and Ichigo's idea of the correct timing were... Very different.

Running a hand through his hair as he opened his lunch box, he paused as he found a post-it note on the inside, he recognised the handwriting instantly and quickly snatched it away before wandering eyes (Inoue) spotted it. He turned slightly and read the message, having to fight insufferably hard not to flush in response.

_**I made you a special recipe of sushi passed down through my family, on my mother's side, enjoy your lunch Ichigo. S.**_

Swallowing a little thickly he smiling in spite of himself, pocketing the note and plucking one of the cyclinders of sushi from the plastic box, he sniffed it curiously before taking a bite and inwardly moaning at the explosion of flavour which erupted in his mouth. He licked his lips and eagerly took another bite, nodding to himself at how good it tasted. When he had finished that one, he hesitated to take another, sighing slightly to himself before he cleared his throat, drawing the attention of his friends.

"So, I guess I have some news," he said tersely, "Aizen Sousuke is living at my house."

There was a pregnant silence, followed by an eruption of laughter from Keigo who slapped his knee and shook his head, "Good one Ichigo! You had me going for a moment there!"

The strawberry rolled his eyes and looked at him, "I'm serious."

The laughter fell dead instantly and the brown haired teen blinked, "What?"

"Central 46, the governing law in Soul Society," he added for the benefit of those of his friends who had not visiting the separate world, "Asked of me to be a jailer to Aizen, his Shinigami powers have been stripped from him and placed into a single sword which is in my possession, and during his period of rehabilitation he is living with me, as a human, in the human world and he is doing kind of well as it happens." he spewed at a rapid, nerve invoked pace.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Inoue shudder at the thought of the man who had taken her prisoner being so close to her again; he saw Ishida finally sit back with a slightly smug expression on his face; Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizuro all shared looks with one and other before staring at Ichigo as though he were somehow mortally insane; and Chad merely continued eating as though he had never spoken to begin with.

"Kurosaki-kun..." Inoue said quietly after a moment, her face slightly paler than it had been before, "Why did you agree?"

That wasn't the question he had suspected for sure, "Because I've seen goodness in him." he answered truthfully, "I know he has done wicked and cruel things, and people died as a result of his crimes... But when we fought our final battle for Karakura I saw a side to him I don't think he knew he possessed himself. I have... Always been able to sense the purpose behind someone fighting, when I fought Byakuya his motivation was pride and purpose; Renji's was strength and a need to prove himself... Aizen's purpose was to find someone like him. Someone who could prove without a doubt that he wasn't alone.

"His sword was so incredibly lonely and it mimicked his own heart, from the moment he was born he was alone in his power and his greatness... And he is great. He is powerful, influential and insanely strong and he was _alone_ and I believe that is what twisted him. He wanted to either discover someone who could challenge him, or he wanted to quash anyone who could challenge him. But I honestly believe he was searching for someone as powerful as him and when I defeated him his willpower shattered because he had finally found his answer... And I saw that lonely little boy in the reflection of his eyes. If he had someone there for him, if someone stood by him and never betrayed him... He would have been different. Hell he might have been like me." he sighed and forced himself to cease ranting on the man's behalf, he had his own reasons for being so passionate about it, ones that he was not willing to share. Not yet anyway, and certainly not to the girl who Ishida claimed had a 'crush' on him.

He still hadn't seen the proof of that 'crush' by the way.

"I knew it would be something like that," the young woman answered with a breath, "And it is because Kurosaki-kun is doing this for a kind hearted purpose that... I will support him. If you need anything, just let me know. Okay?" she smiled at him, there was a faint waver of anxiety in that smile but there was strength as well.

"That you, Inoue." he said, reaching over and squeezing her shoulder comfortingly; he had turned his gaze to the others and never saw her face light up like a tomato in response to his touch, "What do you say? Tatsuki? Keigo? Mizuro? You only met the guy the once but he did try to squash you all with his massive... Reiatsu."

"I think you are an idiot to let yourself be fooled by him," Tatsuki shrugged, swallowing a mouthful of rice, "But you are always an idiot so I trust you."

"I'm not sure it is the greatest idea you have ever had..." Keigo trailed off, "But... Well it can't be worse than Halloween seven years back when you decided to-"

"Yes! Thank you I get the idea!" the strawberry cut him off hastily and covered his eyes with his hand theatrically.

Mizuro simply smiled and gave him a nod, and Ichigo knew he had his support, it was clear that he was just as unhappy with the predicament as the others but he was more tactful and more trusting, and sometimes more prone to telling him when he was doing something wrongly, but considering his silence Ichigo took that as a sign that things were... Roughly speaking, alright.

Chad's massive hand suddenly appeared and he patted the strawberry on the back; retracting his hand when he had his attention only to give him the thumbs up and return to his lunch. Ichigo stifled a chuckle, even after so long, Chad could still be _so_ weird.

Relaxing into his home made lunch once again, he revelled in the taste of the sushi his house guest had made for him; making a mental note to thank him heartily for such a thoughtful gesture. He paused suddenly and considered just how thoughtful it had been, Aizen was a distinguished man who rarely did anything for anyone and was used to having things done for him. For a long time he had been a king among the Hollows, having servants, slaves, puppets to do whatever he desired. And yet he seemed so willing to do things for Ichigo, cooking for him, making him a treat for his lunch, helping him with homework, helping around the house, he had even gone out and got a job to help provide money for the food he was eating!

A small smile touched his lips suddenly as he realised Aizen was already on the road of rehabilitation. But moments later that smile faded as he realised that brought them closer to a time when Aizen would be allowed to leave his care and restart his life as he saw fit. For some reason, that thought brought a frown and a pout to his expression, and it made his heart sink into his boots with distaste. He didn't want it to happen. He didn't want Aizen to leave.

"Achoo!" Aizen dabbed his nose with a tissue and shook his head slightly, "Someone must be talking about me." he muttered.

"More than likely." his host answered humorously, making him bristle, "So tell me, Aizen-san, what brings you to my humble abode this fine afternoon?"

The brunet rolled his eyes inwardly and let out a long calming breath, "I am here about an... Affair of the heart."

"Whose heart? Your heart? You mean you have one?!"

"Your glibness does you no favours, Urahara Kisuke," he sighed heavily, "Yes, my heart."

The blond chuckled and sat forward slowly on the cushion he had taken refuge upon, sipping his tea with delight at the prospect of having Aizen Sousuke owe him something in return for his help, "So what do you want from me?"

"I want... A... Well..." he sighed and looked away as a childish blush threatened to slid across the bridge of his nose and his cheeks, "I want an aphrodisiac."

Urahara stared at him for several long moments before he snorted and started laughing, "_You_ need an aphrodisiac?! _**You**_?!"

"Do not make something out of this Urahara! It is merely to... Provide some aid to the process..." he muttered venomously.

"HA! Aid indeed! You have never needed aid in your life! I bet you had the picking of your Espada!" the former Captain teased relentlessly.

"That would be somewhat disgusting... I considered myself a father figure to them, the idea that I had any form of sexual involvement with them is highly disturbing Urahara." he growled, glowering over the top of his own tea cup at the man, slowly wishing he had not ventured on this mission at all, he should have known he couldn't trust this man to be objective about anything, and why would he be? He was a lazy, good for nothing, time wasting, loud snoring, complaint making, interfering-

"Very well... I believe I have just the thing you are looking for."

Aizen's gaze snapped up, "What?"

"I said I have what you want." Urahara said blankly, standing slowly and disappearing for several moments before he returned with a small phial of dark red crystals.

"What are they?" the brunet asked instantly, sitting forward curiously.

"Put these in a hot drink, give them to your... _Friend_ and let them drink it." he explained, "You must promise me one thing in return."

"What?" he sighed.

"Promise me that these are not for Ichigo."

Aizen balked for a moment and stared at him, "I promise."


End file.

Bleach, Hurt-Comfort, Romance