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Before his coronation, Ichigo would never admit to having favorites.
Afterwards, he allows himself that freedom.
He lays on his bed of silk and feathers, his gold and red sleeping yukata barely hanging onto his form as he remembers and reflects on those golden lives he’s watched. There have been so many and though his zanpakuto reassure him that he'll never forget them, for the sprawling city of his inner world, a mix of past and of future, holds the tomes of all those he’s cherished-
He knows how easily such things can be overwritten.
So he keeps a secret box with no name containing all the gems, treasures, of those he has loved, loves, and will love, forevermore. It appears and disappears at a whim, just as it appears now on the bed next to him.
It’s a beautiful chest, lovingly made and with gilt that’s been worn from fingers tracing the harsh ocean waves carved into it. Even the four claw marks that cross from lid to body are soft and worn away, as if they had been meant to be part of the box’s design from the beginning.
Rolling over, his robe falls completely open and the black and white obi that had been keeping it in place finds its resting place on the bed by his hip. Ichigo pays no mind to any of this in the privacy of his own chambers. The only ones who would dare barge in, if you could call it that, would be his own zanpakuto.
The box, which at first glance was the size of a travel trunk, is now the size of a jewelry box. Apt, for what it holds inside. Gemstones, gold, silver, plain rocks, sticks, ivory, ribbons, and fabric- it all shouldn’t be able to fit in the chest, but it does, for that is what Ichigo desires.
His treasury, of those he loves.
He’ll always have some favoritism towards his Five Noble Families in the Soul Society. His gardening Kuchikis that spread beauty and keep the history. His Shihoins that protect from the shadows with armor and heart. The Tsunayashiros that strive to push the Soul Society to new heights while working with his Kuchikis in keeping the records of victories and losses, and of course, his explosive, passionate Shibas. His Shibas that protect the common people and follow their hearts above all else.
Ichigo watches a young Byakuya Kuchiki (his pink spinel crystal) get teased by Yoruichi Shihoin (his shard of black obsidian that sometimes shines green) for the third time in a week and laughs when he goes tearing after her. He then watches them years into the future (or maybe it’s the present? It’s so hard to keep track of time- ) He watches them drink together, Yoruichi still teasing as she pokes Byakuya’s cheek and tries to get him to drink more, wanting to see him tipsy. While he places their stones on his right manacle, his gaze catches on the man next to Yoruichi, the man in the silly green and white bucket hat.
Kisuke Urahara is not from one of his noble clans, but Ichigo loves him all the same, his fire opal. Shifting and changing in the light with a burning, cutting edge of red. Red as the swing of Benihime, blood and reiatsu one in the same. So brilliant, and the oddest mixture of apathy and the biggest heart Ichigo’s seen in a Shinigami yet.
Ichigo lets the opal dangle from one of his earrings, like a drop of fire.
Rukia (Someday Kuchiki, or maybe she is now?) is Ichigo’s moss agate. A soft stone, but can compete with the hardest of diamonds in terms of beauty. No matter what world or time he peeks in on her, he cannot help but love her. Love her for the strength she cultivates to protect others and shares with him in every world. She makes everything make sense when his thoughts spin too harshly with words like a blizzard’s winds.
That is why he will never allow her execution, in any world. Even if she barely knows him in this world (will know him? Knew him?)
His garnet, Renji- Ichigo feels a kinship to him. In so many worlds, they are friends. Like cousins, brothers, fighting-squabbling-sparring-laughing. Renji is the warmth to Rukia’s cool, both enlivening Ichigo whenever he’s down.
(He wishes he could talk with them more in this world. He sees them so often, but for them to know him too- Ichigo sighs, rolling their loose gems between his fingers, placing them into the band of the golden collar necklace that wraps around his throat.)
So many gems, so many favorite souls.
Plucking a silk bracelet from the chest, it’s made of two strands woven together. One strand is an iridescent black and the other a pearly white and Ichigo lets the soft fabric press against his lips. In so many worlds, Karin and Yuzu Kurosaki are his sisters and that love he sees in the other Ichigo Kurosakis as a big brother carries over to him.
He would lay down his life for them, even as the stranger he is to them in this world. He will die, and then he will live, when he is called, so that they will never take his place.
Ichigo slips the bracelet onto his wrist, letting out a sigh as the thrum of their energies beat in time with his own heart.
The next thing he grabs is a wooden charm made of cypress wood, the carving of a skeletal eagle filled with gold on its square face. Chad, Sado Yasutora, his gentle protector. His chosen protector of Karin and Yuzu in this world, who will follow them to the depths of hell. Who learns to be that steady presence, but not cold like stone. Warm like wood and as precious as gold.
Ichigo clips the charm onto the silk bracelet, gently encouraging their bonds and reassuring himself of their souls in his faraway palace.
The chains of his bracelets tinkle like crystal windchimes as he grabs one of his star gems, the pale gold moonstone small and delicate. Orihime Inoue always has been and always will be his Impossible Girl. The one that he nurtured her spirit energy into turning into a power even Aizen and his son will fear one day. He turns her stone over in his hands and slips the ring that holds the beat of her spirit energy onto his pinky finger.
His next charm shines almost demandingly and Ichigo huffs a laugh. Uryu’s always been impatient once he realizes he’s been left for last, again. The pure silver star is slender, but not quite the same as the Quincy Cross. It’s more robust, and more traditionally star-shaped, surer of itself with etchings into its surface like feathers and points that can draw blood.
The little star is pressed into the solid gold of the bracelet on Ichigo’s right wrist, the same wrist with Yuzu, Karin, and Chad. The same hand as Orihime.
Next are the five pieces of ivory Ichigo grabs.
Ichigo always has and always will be part Hollow, no matter how his Squad Zero (his son) may not understand (may hate) that fact, and there are favorites among them too.
A sharkstooth for Hallibel, always fair. The tip of a rams’ horn for dear, sweet Nel. A wolf's tooth for Starrk, who always just wants a pack. A black bat’s claw for Ulquiorra, who wants to reach out for anyone, anything, but so rarely is able to before his death. And of course, a jaguar’s claw for Grimmjow. Grimmjow, who demands the best from what Ichigo’s got to give in a fight, will push his sister(s?) to new heights. Hallibel, Starrk, and Ulquiorra go on the bracelet around Ichigo’s right ankle, Nel and Grimmjow on the left.
Ichigo grabs two more pieces from the box. One is a piece of astrophyllite. A firework stone. A stone for Isshin Kurosaki, the soul reaper that sacrifices his life for a stranger and saves the world without meaning too, because of the product of that love.
Paired with it is a sunstone. Masaki Kurosaki does not live long in many Other Worlds, but Ichigo keeps her soul safe in this one. They are the ones that Ichigo removes the least from his person, right next to Karin and Yuzu’s silks. He keeps them together on a platinum ring on his left middle finger. The two stones held together are warm and Ichigo plays with the plain band they’re kept on.
“Aren’t you dressed to the nines,” Zangetsu teases as he appears beside Ichigo, half-flopping on Ichigo’s back.
“Got tired of teasing Hyosube?” Ichigo smirks at him, Hibikage flickering into the room on the pile of giant, plush cushions in the corner of his chambers.
“For such a jolly guy he’s much less fun than ya’d think.”
Ichigo shakes one wrist at Zangetsu, the golden links as thin as the chain of a woman’s necklace tinkling from its manacle mockingly cheerful. “Oh really? Who would have thought.”
Zangetsu scowls, pinching Ichigo’s cheek cruelly and twisting the skin until it blooms red and Ichigo yelps in pain.
“Hey!” Ichigo tries to protest, Zangetsu speaking over him.
“This is fucking stupid. You’re King, and yer a prisoner. The hell, why shouldn’t I take over your body?” Zangetsu snarls, rolling Ichigo onto his back and crawling over him to squeeze his throat in two hands.
Ichigo pets gentle hands through his zanpakuto’s hair. Zangetsu’s grasp on his neck is ghost-like and soft. His Horse knows that there’s no point to fighting the bridle Ichigo has on him. “Life isn’t fair, Zan. This is the price of my crown; kings do not get to do what they want. They rarely do.”
Zangetsu sighs, the tension leaving his body as he lets go of Ichigo and lays fully on him, burying his face in his master’s neck. Ichigo glances over at Hibikage and holds out a hand to him, gesturing his little shadow to join them on the bed with a silent look. Hibikage can no more refuse him than Zangetsu can, the second spirit plopping down beside them, legs folded under him.
Zangetsu mumbles something into Ichigo’s neck that he misses and Ichigo has to poke the nape of his neck to get his soul to look up at him.
“Yes, Zangetsu?”
“Why didn’t you take us with? When you saved Rukia Kuchiki?”
“I never left here, not truly, Zangetsu. You know that-”
Zangetsu tugs his long orange hair this time, Ichigo falling silent. “Ya know what I meant.”
“It was better to appear unarmed and it gave me more time before my Squad Zero became concerned.” Zangetsu opens his mouth to argue, Ichigo shoving his fingers in before he can speak and Zangetsu bites down on the digits indignantly. Ichigo ignores the pain, he has felt worlds worse, he will feel worlds worse. “I know you hate their hovering, but it is not without reason. The last time I went down in my actual body, I accidentally created the Valley of Screams. I’ve only grown stronger since then.”
Ichigo pulls his hand out of Zangetsu’s mouth and wipes his slobbered-on hand on Zangetsu’s kosode, his zanpakuto making a noise of offense.
“What? It’s your own drool.”
“Fucking- you’re on, King.” With a growl, Zangetsu yanks on Ichigo’s locks until they’re tussling on the ground and Hibikage, before he can be pulled into their impromptu spar, retreats back to Ichigo’s inner world.
“Look,” Zangetsu mocks, “ya made Hibi run away, King.”
Ichigo knees his doppelganger in the gut and follows it up by kicking him off, yelping when the motion yanks his head around, Zangetsu still gripping his hair. “You shit, he retreated because of you!”
“Nu-uh!” Zangetsu maturely replies, digging clawed hands into Ichigo’s sides. Ichigo’s retaliation has him wheezing, blinding pain like fire clawing outwards from his crotch. “You kicked me in the nuts!” Zangetsu chokes out, tears springing to the corners of his eyes.
“You bet I did,” Ichigo grunts as he sits up, pushing his hair out of his face. “I need to cut my hair.”
“Why don’t ya?” Zangetsu struggles to speak.
“Shutara and Hikifune both like it long.”
“You mean all of Squad Zero likes it long,” Zangetsu snorts, wincing as he lays on his side and looks up at Ichigo.
“Maybe,” Ichigo admits, amused.
“Definitely,” Zangetsu retorts, “long hair makes ya look fuckable an’ pretty.”
“Aw, thanks for calling me pretty.”
“We have the same face, fuck-twit.” Zangetsu pokes his stomach then gently yanks one lock of his hair. “My hair’s better though, traffic cone.”
“Traffic cone?!” Ichigo repeats, offended. He swats Zangetsu’s hand away, tossing his hair over his shoulder in the same movement. "Have those even been invented in this timeline yet?!"
"Yep!"
"Huh." The timeline's further along than I thought. Seconds are hours and centuries are minutes.
"Lost time again, King?"
"Time is all I have," Ichigo quietly retorts, groaning as he sits up and pulls his robes tighter around himself. He tilts to the side, resting shoulder-to-shoulder with Zangetsu. "Go to the living world for me? Soon?"
"Yeah, I can do that. Tell you who's been born." There's a pause. "Want me to bring anything back?"
"A stereo? I miss modern music."
Zangetsu watches his King pet the gems on his bracelets and knows that is the tip of the iceberg of what King misses.
"I can do that." And if any in Squad Zero has a problem with you having it, I'll tear their faces off.