Title: Sweet Melancholy
Author: Paï
Word Count: 1,243
Pairings: Ichigo/Ishida
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: always the same, English is not my native language, and there might still be some errors even though it had been kind of beta'ed by my big sis'!
Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, it would have been a yaoi manga! XDDD
Notes: Posted on Uryuu's birthday on LiveJournal! Arigatou gozaimasu nee-san!! ♥
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For quite a little time now, Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryuu had been what someone could consider as friends.
For quite a little time now, Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryuu had been fighting Hollows together.
For quite a little time now, Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryuu had been going to school together, and leaving it together.
For quite a little time now, Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryuu had been a little more than friends.
What do they mean by a little more than friends?
Shooting little glances full of meaning at each other at school; searching for every contact they could have while in public, even if it was only making their hands 'accidentally' touch while walking; sharing passionate kisses as soon as the door to Uryuu's flat is closed; or just holding each other tightly, feeling in security only in the warmth of the other's arms.
In fact, for quite a little time now, Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryuu had been a lot more than friends.
But that, they were still afraid of saying to each other, not quite knowing the other's reaction.
One day, as they were leaving school together, Ichigo couldn't help but notice that the other boy had been more silent and distant than usual.
Of course, as it is normal when you're a little more than friends, Ichigo was being worried over the other's unusual behaviour.
All day, the dark-haired boy had been gazing vacantly at the window. All day, the dark-haired boy had been vaguely answering he was okay when the other was asking him what was going on.
On their way, they had to fight against some not-so-weak Hollow. They had been used to that kind of distraction, but this time, Ichigo nearly had anything to do. Usually, they agreed on the fact that Ichigo was to finish the Hollow off, for his soul could be sent to Soul Society. This time, Ishida had taken this fight more than seriously and had been unremittingly piercing every inch of the Hollow's body with powerful spirit arrows until the Hollow disappeared completely.
It was the first time Ichigo had seen his companion in arms fighting without any plan.
After this fight, they resumed their walking as if nothing had happened, as silently as it had begun.
On arriving at Uryuu's flat, Ichigo softly said that he was going to take a shower. He tilted his head, frowning, to look at the other boy, who only nodded slightly before heading directly for the dining-room.
Ichigo, now, was becoming more and more worried. Usually, when they returned from a fight, Ichigo would take a shower, but the Quincy would always first retort that he's not as rich as he is, and that he could very well take his shower in his house.
That was the way they express their affection.
In the shower, Ichigo was the prey of very unwelcome thoughts. Was it that Uryuu was tired of Ichigo, to a point where he didn't even bother bickering?
But then, as he turned the water off, the Shinigami heard a sound coming from the dining-room. At first, he thought Uryuu had dropped something, but then, as he concentrated onto it, he recognized it as music. More precisely, piano.
His first thought was that Uryuu needed to listen to music, but then he remembered that Uryuu did not have any CD player.
Uryuu did possess a piano, however, in his dining-room, but Ichigo had never known he could play it. When he first came to his flat, Ichigo had asked Uryuu if he knew how to play piano, but Uryuu had never answered the question, and neither had he opened it once. He had only answered vaguely that it was the only thing left he had from his grandfather, the only thing he had been able to save from his father's 'spring-cleaning'.
From there, Ichigo had known better than to ask again, knowing how much the other boy loved his grandfather and despised his father.
The music he was hearing was totally heart-breaking. It was very beautiful, but filled with melancholy.
Putting his clothes on, he got out of the bathroom and, from the corner, looked at the piano. As he thought, Uryuu was sitting in front of it, playing as if he had done this all his life.
He was so absorbed in it that he hadn't even sensed Ichigo watching, which was also unusual, coming from him.
Ichigo looked silently at the dark-haired boy for some minutes, but was very surprised when, as Uryuu turned his head a little, he saw a tear rolling over his cheek.
That was the last thing that confirmed to him that, even if he was telling the contrary, the Quincy was not going well at all.
So, silently, Ichigo walked closer to him and encircled him from behind, causing the other boy to stop playing after hitting numerous wrong keys due to the surprise.
"You play damn well. I really wanted to cry." He said softly.
As the other boy didn't move, he continues. "Why didn't you tell me you knew how to play?"
"That's because I don't play." The dark-haired boy simply answered, his eyes not leaving the piano.
"What? You must be joking!" Ichigo said, sitting next to the boy. "What was that if you don't play?" he teased. "You couldn't have learned that by yourself!"
"My grandfather used to teach me."
"Oh. I see." He didn't know what else to say, suddenly uneasy about having reminded the Quincy of his grandfather. "Is this why..." he only said, catching the tear with his thumb.
The other looked at him with wide eyes before turning his head to the other side.
Ichigo, however, caught his head in his hand to force the boy to look at him again.
"Don't look away. You shouldn't be ashamed. Tell me what's been bothering you all day."
"I… Today… It should have been my grandfather's birthday." Uryuu answered slowly, eyes filled with melancholy.
Even if it wasn't that good a news, Ichigo couldn't help but feel relieved.
"I'm sorry" He said, pressing their foreheads together and closing his eyes. After a moment, he smiled a little and added, "And I thought you were getting tired of me!"
Uryuu's eyes widen but didn't have time to ask anything as he was forced into a passionate kiss.
When they pulled away to breathe, Ichigo couldn't help but ask. "Uryuu? Would you play more often, for me?"
The boy looked into the Shinigami's eyes and smiled a little, for the first time in days. "Okay."
Ichigo smiled back and, after hesitating a moment, wrapped his arms around the other's waist to pull him closer.
"I love you." He whispered against the other's ear.
Uryuu was more than surprised at the other's sudden 'declaration'. Luckily for him, Ichigo couldn't see his face, but as his eyes began to wet again, he couldn't help but hid his face against Ichigo's shoulder.
However, Ichigo could sense the little wetness on his shoulder. He wanted to ask what was going on but felt the other smiling against his shoulder.
"I love you too."
That was all Ichigo needed to pull the other even more closer, stroking his hair.
For quite a little time now, Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryuu weren't enemies anymore.
From then on, Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryuu weren't friends anymore.
From then on, Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryuu were finally lovers.