A Simple Moment
by Katie
Disclaimer: Ichigo and Chad belong to Tite Kubo. Kubo-sensei, I apologize in advance for bastardizing them. x3;;; You too, Lily! 3;;; I hope you enjoy it anyway.

"Ichigo?"

"Hn?" Ichigo looked up from his task of welding the roof together and shot Chad a curious look.

"Have you ever wondered why frosting is called frosting?"

The other boy's tone was completely serious. You have got to be kidding me, Ichigo thought, giving Chad a deadpan look. "Have you been hanging around Inoue too much?"

Chad simply shrugged in his own quiet way and continued welding gingerbread cookies together into a roof. Typical of Chad, he did not elaborate; he had asked a question, and awaited its answer. Ichigo huffed with irritation at this. No matter how long he had known Chad, there were some habits of the boy's that Ichigo would never get used to. Not after questions like that, anyway.

"No," he answered. "Why, have you?" Ichigo realized it was a stupid question the moment the words fled his mouth. Of course Chad had been thinking about it – why else would he have asked? Chad, though, did not seem to mind the question.

"It doesn't look. like frost," he said. thoughtfully studying the seams of the gingerbreak house. Despite himself, Ichigo found himself examining it as well.

"No," he agreed. "Frost is shinier. More crystallized."

Chad nodded in agreement.

"It doesn't look like ice, either," he said. "Ice is transparent."

"Unless you add food coloring," Ichigo suggested.

Chad thought this over a moment.

"Even then you can see through it," he said.

"Not really," Ichigo said. "Usually too thick to see through, unless it's on the road."

Chad nodded, accepting this.

"It still doesn't look like ice," he said.

"No," Ichigo agreed. "Ice is shinier too." He paused for a moment, then added: "Isn't frost a kind of ice?"

"I think so," Chad said.

"That would explain the shininess," Ichigo concluded thoughtfully.

"Aa," Chad agreed, and placed the last gingerbread shingle on the roof. Ichigo eyed the structure critically.

"Looks good," he declared. "Sound. Now" – he picked up a tub of icing – "to do the paint job." He handed Chad a knife and picked up one for himself, scooping up some icing to spread on the roof.

"Maybe it's called frosting because it covers things," Chad suggested, spreading the icing.

"Like frost," Ichigo said thoughtfully. "Maybe. Snow would make more sense, though."

"Doesn't sound as nice," Chad pointed out.

"True," Ichigo agreed.

They finished covering the roof and ground in comfortable silence, each focused on the task at hand. Juvenile as the activity was (what other high school students would be building a gingerbread house, except maybe Inoue?), Ichigo found himself relaxing more than he had in weeks. There was no pressure here with Chad to speak, or to do anything at all. All he had to do was be here; such a change from at school, where he had to maintain a good student image to combat the effect of his orange hair, or at home, where he had to maintain the facade of normality to fool his father and sisters. And it was definitely different than making rounds with Rukia, struggling with the pressure to live up to his shinigami duties and Rukia's expectations. Ichigo looked at his current life and snorted dryly. And people wonder why I'm so grumpy all the time, he thought. Really, if it weren't for Chad's quiet support, Ichigo was convinced his head would have exploded long ago.

"Oi, Chad," he said suddenly.

"Hn?" Chad didn't even look up, his attention focused on decorating the house with little pieces of candy.

"Thanks."

Chad did look up then, his gaze curious yet calm. He studied Ichigo a moment, and then nodded and returned to decorating the house. Grinning slightly, Ichigo picked up a piece of licorice and joined him.

+
The End