Uryuu wrote his notes with ease, not having to actually read to understand what he should write or not. Of course, this didn't stop his notes from being written quite neatly, each outline separated quite eloquently. Uryuu, being the great student he was, wasn't really paying attention to the people around him, and didn't notice the dismal orange haired teen behind him.

"Stupid Uryuu, damn him and his stupid pride." Ichigo brooded. His thoughts seemed to grow more steady, more angry. "How can that idiot listen and take notes despite this morning?" Ichigo growled, effectively startling Keigo who was doodling all over his paper.

"Yo, Ichigo, what's wrong?" Keigo wrote on a note, along with a little cartoon depiction of himself and little question marks. Ichigo snorted, scribbling on the notebook paper. Keigo felt a jab on his arm and he turned to grab the paper handed to him. It read "I'm pissed off!" and it had a little drawing of Ichigo, or a head, spikey hair and a "D" face drawn in.

"More than usual?" Ichigo read and he smiled to himself. The little cartoon Keigo that had been drawn even had a smirk, and Ichigo bet everything that if the real Keigo turned around he would have the same smirk on his lips. "Yeah, It's all because of stupid Uryuu!" Ichigo wrote back.

"What did Captain Nerd-O do now?" The note read back. It even had a little drawing of Uryuu that was quite manga-ish. Ichigo smiled and folded the note into his folder, noticing that it had no more space for his reply.

Ichigo scribbled his note and a little drawing, he took his time for the drawing this time, and passed it to Keigo. Unfortunately for Ichigo, the teacher had noticed them passing notes and took it upon herself to stop them. As Keigo reached for the note she snatched it.

"Kurosaki, Asano, passing little love notes to each other? How romantic. You guys can flirt after class." The teacher said. A few kids in the class giggled and some snickered. Rukia looked pensively at Ichigo, marveling at how the teen turned thirty shade of red before settling on a pinkish blush.

It was just then that the light bulb turned on, the information clicked. Rukia grinned quite wickedly, deciding to get pay back at Ichigo for snapping at her. She knew why there was a lot of tension between him and the Quincy. She leered at Ichigo, who pretended to take notes.

"Read it! Read it! Read it!" Rukia chanted, causing Ichigo to tense. Chizuru started in on it and the teenage girl was followed by Orihime, Tatsuki, Mizuiro and some other students. The teacher grinned wickedly and fished the note out of her pocket.

"Alright; I will read it as a lesson to all of you to stop writing notes to each other." The teacher said sheepishly, not even buying her own excuse. " Let me see…'I really like him, but he's being too friggen prideful. It's always him and his stupid pride, he doesn't know what he means to me. I did something really stupid…I kissed him'

"There's a little cartoon of a blushing person 'I kissed him and told him what I really felt. He accepted my feelings but then he crushed me. He said he didn't want anything to do with me and he left.' That's pretty deep. I don't think I should continue reading." Ms. Ochi said with an awkward glance at her class. No one seemed bothered so she sighed and continued.

"It says 'It's always him and his pride. Why can't he see that I through away my pride when I kissed him and told him what I felt?' And that's the end…Ichigo…I don't want to pry, but did you write this?" Ms. Ochi asked, her last word a simple whisper. Ichigo looked up and was about to speak when Keigo interrupted him.

"No, someone passed it to us and we didn't know whether or not to pass it forward or back." Keigo explained. Ms. Ochi seemed to accept this because she gave the note back and went to go and teach the class as is nothing had happened.

Ichigo couldn't help but feel like everyone had known his own private thoughts. At least Keigo knew when the joke was over. He sighed and decided actually doing his work would take his mind off of everything. Besides, he was probably going to stay after class and he and Uyruu walked down the same path home. How could he face the Quincy now?

"Hey Uryuu, I have tot talk to you." (Shut up.) "I want to talk to you about us." (Shut up…)

"What do you mean?" (I love you.) "What about 'us', Ichigo?" (I want to be with you.)

"I don't know how to tell you this so…" (A kiss. A confession.) "I really like you, Uryuu."

"I…I feel the same." (A lie.) "I like you too." (But…) "But we can't be together"

"Shut up. Shut up! SHUT UP!" Ichigo thought as he closed his eyes, trying to forget the memory of that morning. It just wouldn't leave, he couldn't escape it no matter what.

"I cant be with you." (The truth) "I'm sorry." (You're not sorry.)

"SHUT UP!" Ichigo shouted as he stood up. Everyone in the class looked at him. Ichigo panted, realizing that his thought had been said, and looked around. "C'mon, I need an excuse…" Just then his hollow badge rang out and he left in a flash. "Thank god, a distraction." Ichigo thought miserably as he took out the badge and pressed it against his chest.

…

The hollow was defeated quite easily, much to Ichigo's annoyance. He entered the class, receiving strange looks from everyone other than Rukia, Keigo, Orihime and Chad. Ichigo walked by Uryuu, who was still writing away. He couldn't help but feel a little angry; couldn't Uryuu at least pretend to care?

Ichigo sat down and brooded a little more. Stupid Uryuu and his pride. Ichigo shuffled a little bit on his desk before something fell off of his seat. Ichigo glanced over his leg to find a piece of folded paper. He picked it up and opened it under his desk. It was Uryuu's writing.

"Ichigo:

I can't believe I'm doing something as childish and feminine as this, writing you a letter. Well, I just wanted to tell you that you're an idiot. Seriously, how is it that I broke your heart? I was simply stating the truth, I really do like you, Ichigo, but It wouldn't work out for us. I don't want to sound sappy but I have to, I suppose.

I don't want to be hurt. If we really do…get together, then what will happen when things go sour? I enjoy fighting with you-and beside you. It will all change if we get together.

I'm throwing away my inhibitions. I just want to remain by your side for as long as I can. I just don't want things to change between us."

Ichigo folded the paper and threw it in his folder. He would have a conversation with Ishida.

…

"Ah!" Uryuu gasped and tensed as his back hit the hard, cold locker. "What the hell are you doi-" Uryuu's tirade was prematurely interrupted by rough lips on his. "Kurosa-" Another kiss, another shade of pink tinged his cheeks. "Stop doing that!" Uryuu huffed.

"You don't want to get hurt, I understand, but seriously Ishida, we fight giant monsters of the netherworlds bent on devouring the souls of the dead," Ichigo half smiled and leaned his forehead against Uryuu's. "So if we don't live up the moment…there may not be a tomorrow." Ichigo sighed and looked up, straight into Uryuu's deep ocean eyes.

"Kurosaki I…" Uryuu sighed and looked down, looking a bit crestfallen. "I don't know what to do…what if…everything goes wrong? What if we both end up hurting each other?"

"You and your 'what if's' Ishida" Ichigo smiles and his hands move from Uryuu's shoulders, down his arms until he laces their fingers together. "It wouldn't matter, and we never know if we never try." Ichigo smiled and Uryuu's worries and insecurities melted away.

And as they kissed, both of them doing it in earnest, Uryuu felt that maybe giving them a try wouldn't be a bad idea…