Ichigo sighed running a hand through his hair to calm his nerves. For a teen that routinely faced death, this should be a cakewalk. He glanced nervously at the clock.
"Almost time…" Ichigo muttered trying to soothe his frazzled nerves.
"Ichigo."
At the sound of his name, the orange haired teen whipped around like a thief caught in the act.
"Breathe." Uryu said dryly, the glare from his glasses shielding the amusement dancing in his eyes. "They're your family remember."
Ichigo scowled at superior sounding archer. "Easy for you to say, you don't have to live with them."
"No, I don't." Uryu paused to emphasize his point. "I have to live with Ryuuken."
Ichigo winced at that. That was one family dinner he was glad he never had to repeat. It wasn't that Ryuuken didn't like his son being gay so much as he hated the fact his son was dating a soul reaper. He shuddered remember the very vivid warning the elder archer had given "should you misuse my son."
"Say what you want, but that man loves you." Ichigo muttered wearily.
Uryu rolled his eyes. "I never said we didn't love each other. We just maintain a strong dislike for one another."
"That doesn't make any sense!" Ichigo scowled at his boyfriend.
Uryu raised one shoulder in a careless shrug. "Family rarely does."
"It's time." Ichigo said looking completely uncomfortable.
"Ichigo." Uryu threaded their fingers together. "Worst case scenario your father tries to beat you up and cries to your mother's poster for hours."
Ichigo mulled that over. "You're probably right."
"Probably?" Uryu said archly.
Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, you can't know everything."
"Keep telling yourself that." Uryu smirked leading him downstairs.
Later that night
'Damn Uryu!' Ichigo thought glowering at the wall. Once again, Uryu's theory panned out. Once his father had stopped wailing at his mother's poster portrait, he'd happily welcomed Uryu into the family. Leave it to his dad to spend half an hour crying about his son never giving him grandchildren then do a one eighty and tell Uryu to "please take care of my boy."
Ichigo rolled over grumbling under his breath. "Like I need Uryu to take care of me…"
"Well of course you do." Ichigo rolled over so fast he fell out of the bed.
A familiar crop of red hair was stuck through his window.
"Renji? What the hell?" Ichigo grouched pulling himself into a sitting position.
"You shouldn't talk to yourself if you don't want someone to answer." Renji smirked. "Where's half-pint?"
Ichigo's door slammed open with a thunderous crack.
"Who are you calling half-pint?!" Rukia shrieked shaking her fist at him.
"I only see one half-pint, half-pint." Renji answered with a Cheshire cat smile.
Rukia growled at the red head launching herself at the smug Lieutenant with both fists flying. Ichigo face palmed catching the shorter soul reaper before she could inflict any damage on Renji or the surrounding area.
"Let me go!" Rukia cried fists still swinging. "I'm going to pummel him!"
"Will you two take it outside?" Ichigo said exasperated. "My family is trying to sleep ya know?"
"Oh." Rukia went still. "Sorry."
"Ha!" Renji opened his mouth to make a smart remark about the shorter soul reaper only to be dragged out the window by his ponytail. "Hey ease off will ya!"
Ichigo rubbed his hand over his face shaking his head incredulously.
"Could only happen to me…" He muttered shutting and locking the window.
He flopped back down on his bed with a sigh.
"Hey wait a minute!" Ichigo sat up with a scowl. "What did he mean 'of course' I do?!"
Didn't you realize you were Quincy dependent? A familiar voice cackled in his head.
'What the hell are you talking about?' Ichigo demanded denying the accusation. 'Uryu is not a drug and I am not dependent on him!'
The sooner you realize the truth the easier it will be. Echoed another familiar voice.
'What?' Ichigo scowled at the roof. 'The hell are you two talking about, you're not making any sense!'
Poor King doesn't see his own addiction. His inner hollow mocked.
Denial is an unhealthy habit. Zangetsu told him soberly. Self-deception serves no one.
"What are you talking about?" Ichigo muttered. "I'm not addicted to Uryu…"
And who were you thinking about just now? The hollow taunted. Who plagues your every waking thought?
Your mind constantly revolves around the Quincy. Zangetsu told him gravely. When he his gone the rains washes over us and when he is near the sky becomes clear.
Ichigo furrowed his brows trying to make sense of the whole raining when he's gone thing. 'Huh?'
You have to speak in simpler terms old man. The hollow said gleefully. The King likes to play stupid when he's in denial.
Ichigo scowled. "I am not in denial!"
"Ichigo?" Karin wandered into his room rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "You okay? I thought I heard you talking to someone."
"I'm fine." Ichigo said feeling sheepish. "Just go on back to bed."
"'kay." Karin pulled the door shut while stifling a yawn.
Ichigo punched his pillow resolutely putting the matter out of his head. He stuffed the pillow under his head and closed his eyes defiantly.
Three in morning
Ichigo turned his head from side to side slowly surveying the landscape. He was in his own sideways world… only it was completely devoid of color… and it was pouring rain.
"What happened here?" Ichigo muttered as he tried to process this new landscape.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't his majesty descended from on high to mingle with the commoners." His hollow greeted sardonically.
Ichigo scowled at the inverted color scheme that was his reflection. "Shut up. I'm not 'descended' from anywhere!"
The hollow just cackled giving him that psychotic look he was all too familiar with.
"And why are you here instead of Zangetsu?" Ichigo demanded angrily.
"Ichigo." Zangetsu called from his customary perch.
Ichigo grumbled under his breathe silently thinking they planned these things.
"So what's with all this?" Ichigo said grumpily.
"This is your heart Ichigo." Zangetsu reminded him.
"So why's it so gloomy and crap?" Ichigo asked frowning.
"You are having a nightmare about the Quincy." The hollow said, sounding a little too smug for his own good.
"How can I be having a nightmare if I'm here?" Ichigo said disgruntled.
"This is a reflection of your heart and mind." Zangetsu explained. "When your mind no longer wanted to deal with horrible images it conjured it retreated here."
"I still don't get it." Ichigo muttered as he faded out.
Nightmare
Ichigo's mind reeled.
It was everywhere! All over the ground, all over the wall, and all over him.
Blood.
So much blood. Too much. Too much.
Uryu. Where was Uryu?
He was here. He was just here. Ichigo looked at his blood caked hands in horror.
He knew what it was now… the sound tickling at the edge of his senses… a sound he knew all too well… the familiar cackling of a hollow on a feeding binge.
Uryu. He had to find Uryu.
He raced for the door, but he wasn't moving. Uryu was in danger, but he couldn't reach the door. Ichigo lunged for the door. He was beyond desperation, beyond fear. He was terrified, horrified, and immobilized. If he could just reach…
You can.
Ichigo jerked up with violently. He clutched his chest as his ragged breathing slowed. He was fine. Everything was fine. Without a conscious thought he reached for his cell phone and dialed Uryu.
When the phone rang for the fifth time he started to feel antsy. Thankfully, Uryu answered on the next ring.
"Do have any idea what time it is Ichigo?" The archer demanded sleepily.
"Sorry." Ichigo said softly. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
"At four in the morning?" Uryu grumbled sighing into the receiver. "I'm fine. Are you okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Ichigo asked flopping down on his side.
"Oh I don't know," Uryu said sarcastically. "it might have something to do with you calling me in the middle of the night."
"I said I was sorry." Ichigo grumbled. "Can we meet?"
"Now?!" Came Uryu's strangled response.
"Yeah." Ichigo listen to the silence for a few minutes wondering if Uryu hung up on him.
"Fine." Uryu answered churlishly. "But I want breakfast!"
"Now?" Ichigo asked surprised.
"I'm obviously not getting any more sleep today." Uryu muttered darkly.
"Fine, whatever." Ichigo muttered kicking off his cover. "There's a diner near the park that stays open twenty-four seven. I'll meet you there."
"Fine." There was a distinct click as the arched shut his phone.
Ichigo grabbed a random shirt and pair of jeans from his closet. He should probably feel bad about waking his boyfriend up like this, but…
Diner near the Park
"Gah!" Uryu started when the orange head wrapped him in a bear hug. "Must you?"
Ichigo didn't say anything preferring to snuggle the ruffled Quincy.
Uryu sighed adjusting his glasses.
Really, he should be used to this kind of behavior by now. "Ichigo, you may be content to stand out here and freeze, but I for one am not inclined to do so."
"Why can't you just say you want to go inside?" Ichigo grumbled easing back.
"I just did." Uryu told him bluntly. "You could at least pretend to be sorry for waking me at this god forsaken hour."
Ichigo rubbed his neck. "Sorry?"
Uryu gave him a look. "That's the best you can do? Need I remind you that it's four in morning? On a school night?"
"I'm really sorry?" Ichigo tried again sounding even less sincere.
Uryu removed his glasses and rubbed his hand over his face tiredly. "It's a good thing you're cute or I would seriously rethink this relationship."
"Cute?" Ichigo frowned. "Girls are cute, I'm a guy."
Uryu raised his eyes skyward. "I keep telling myself the sex is worth it."
Uryu walked into the diner and found a seat.
"Just what is that supposed to mean?" Ichigo marched over to him scowling.
"Ichigo." Uryu said looking him in the eye. "You're high maintenance."
Ichigo's mouth fell open. He stood there frozen as Uryu ordered for them.
"And clingy." Uryu added once the waitress was out of earshot.
"I am not!" Ichigo pouted slumping into the seat beside him.
Uryu snorted. "If you were sitting any closer to me I'd be in your lap."
Ichigo perked up at that.
"Forget it." Uryu said recognizing that look. "I'm not sitting in your lap in a public restaurant."
Ichigo huffed slinging his arm over the archer's shoulder defiantly.
Uryu shook his head, amused. "Maybe when we get home from school today."
Ichigo perked up again. "I'm not high maintenance."
Uryu gave him a skeptical look.
"I'm not." Ichigo said emphatically. "And I'm not clingy, I'm affectionate."
"Keep telling yourself that." Uryu mumbled under his breath.
"Uryu…" Ichigo muttered thinking he probably shouldn't be asking this question. "Do you think I'm… dependent… on you?"
Uryu gave him a considering look. "I wasn't aware I'd become an illegal substance."
Ichigo scowled at him. "Not like that!"
Uryu shrugged. "Why would you think that?"
"It's dumb." Ichigo muttered unhappily. "Renji thinks I am. And Zangetsu and my damn hollow do too."
"You're getting relationship advice from your sword and your inner demon?" Uryu asked dryly. "You realize how that sounds, right?"
"I know." Ichigo groaned hiding his face in Uryu's shoulder. "But I think they might be right."
"Ichigo, I want you to listen to listen to me because you may never hear these words again." Uryu said seriously.
Ichigo raised off his shoulder and looked at him.
"You're overthinking it." Uryu said bluntly.
Ichigo just looked at him for a long moment. "Somehow… I thought… you were gonna say something… different."
Uryu raised an eyebrow at him. "You thought I would profess my undying love and propose to you?"
"A guy can dream." Ichigo muttered glaring at his plate.
"That's your job." Uryu said cutting into his breakfast steak.
"Eh?" Ichigo looked at him surprised.
"I asked you out." Uryu reminded him. "It's only fair that you be the one to propose."
"Oh." Ichigo said dully.
"Not here." Uryu added when the orange haired teen started to speak again.
Ichigo scowled at him. "You know if I didn't love you, you're haughty demeanor would seriously piss me off."
"And if I didn't love you, we wouldn't be having this conversation." Uryu replied not missing a beat. "You're buying lunch today."
Ichigo's scowl lost some of his intensity. "And you say I'm high maintenance."
"Who woke who up at four in morning?" Uryu asked blithely.
Ichigo huffed staring at his breakfast intently. "So if I were to propose… would there be a ring involved?"
"Definitely." Uryu answered. "I prefer sapphires to blue diamonds and it should be at least four carats."
Ichigo gave him an exasperated look. "You want a lot don't you?"
"You and I both know you can easily get a ring in the Seireitei." Uryu said demurely.
"I guess." Ichigo muttered. "That means I gotta catch Renji and find out when he's going back if I don't want ta owe Hat and Clogs another favor."
"Renji and Rukia are heading back tomorrow." Uryu said scooping up his eggs. "I already told Rukia you'd be joining them."
Ichigo gave him an incredulous look. "Sure of yourself aren't you? Did it ever occur to you that maybe I don't want to marry you?"
"Did it ever occur to you that I can find another boyfriend?" Uryu retorted smoothly.
"Fine." Ichigo grumbled. "I'll get your damn ring, but you damn well ain't backing out on me now!"
Uryu sent him a smug smile. "Why ever would you think that? I have everything I want right here."
Ichigo hid his blush by ducking into Uryu's shoulder. "Don't say stuff like that. People can here you!"
Uryu sniffed. "And why should I care? What I say to my fiancée is my business."
'Man, when did Uryu start wearing the pants?' Ichigo thought leaving his hiding place. 'Damn, maybe I am Quincy dependent….'
Ichigo watched Uryu savor his drink of choice, hot chocolate.
'But if I had to be addicted to something…'
Uryu arched an eyebrow at him questioningly. "You're staring."
"I know." Ichigo murmured. "I was just enjoying the view."