This is an idea that's been rolling around in the back of my mind for a while now. The prologue isn't meant to be particularly long, but the coming chapters are meant to be more lengthy.

Please review, it would be greatly appreciated.

Also, this is yaoi/boy-boy romance, so you have been warned.

Prologue—Boy's Love

He stood outside the small shop, soaked by the rain and without an umbrella to save him. His roommate had shoved him out the doors of the boy's dorm without a second thought after they got back to their room and put their things away. And he really hadn't been given much other choice. He was, however, given directions to a mysterious little shop that he'd never heard of in his life. This was his roommate's big idea? The place was bare of any customers. He didn't even know if this place was reputable. And now he was standing outside of it in the rain.

He looked back at the wet paper again—it was barely even legible now. Was he really at the right place? It looked quite downtrodden and not particularly reputable. But Renji was suggesting it. Did that make it alright? He didn't know, and there was really only one way to find out, anyway.

Uryu could hardly take it anymore—no, he couldn't at all. This wasn't how he wanted things to be. He'd had absolutely enough of it. He wanted something so badly, but he could never seem to get it. Craved it. Needed it, as if his life was depending on it. There had to be something he could do to finally have what was most important to him. But what could he do? He'd tried everything he could think of, and nothing had turned out as he wanted. Was there anything left to do? Or did he have to concede defeat?


He tore through his shared dorm, tossing anything and everything he could lay his hands on. Underneath his carefully crafted guise of calmness and serenity, his heart was shattering like fine china. He should have been happy—he had a boyfriend who cared about him. But lately he was finding that the relationship he was in just wasn't working for him. There was someone else on his mind, and both he and his boyfriend knew it. They were trying to salvage the relationship, but couldn't.

Before he could pull up the lamp beside his bed, he felt strong arms wrap around his waist. "I can't do this", he said, his grip on the lamp shaking. He turned around to face the red-head. "I don't think we're right for each other."

The red-head pulled back and sighed. "Yeah, I know", he said. "Look, we tried. I guess I'm not really feeling it, either."

Uryu sighed, as well, now—that had been easier than he expected. "Thanks, Renji. It would have been nice, though."

Renji just shook his head. "I know", he repeated. "But you've been thinking about Ichigo."

A luminescent blush crept across the bespectacled teen's face. "How did you know that", he stammered. Was it really so obvious?

Renji laughed and walked over to his bed. "I didn't", he said. "You just watch him like a hawk."

The blush deepened—Uryu had made every attempt at keeping that a secret, and Renji knew all the same. Was the mask really see-through for the other boy? Uryu considered himself a master of masking whatever he didn't want others to know. So how did Renji know he was secretly watching Ichigo? Maybe his mask wasn't quite as perfect as he thought.

No, he shunned the mere insinuation that his mask was imperfect away. It wouldn't do to be thinking about it, anyway. Instead, he would focus on what he was going to do now. There was no arguing the fact that he and Renji just didn't feel that way towards each other. And Renji would certainly move on in time. The only concern Uryu had now was how he was going to deal with his emotions regarding the infamous Strawberry on campus. Presently, he was now dating one of the girls, Orihime. And that didn't seem to be changing any time in the foreseeable future.

"I know that look", said Renji. He grinned. "You're bummed out 'cause he's dating Orihime."

Uryu sent him a quick glare before going back to his own musings. "What am I supposed to do", he asked. "Trying to break them up would be idiocy."

"Wait a few days", said Renji. When he got another glare, he just laughed it off. "Just be patient. I've got a very good feeling about this."

The blue-haired teen just cocked an eyebrow for a moment before speaking. "Patience is a virtue that I am quickly running out of."

"No, I've got an idea", Renji insisted. "I know someone who might be able to help."


He watched the scene play out before him from the corner of his eyes, masked by his apparent focus on his textbook. It was presently lunch, and he was sitting beside his one friend besides Renji. He wasn't really interested in lunch at the moment, still mulling over his conversation several nights before. Renji had an idea? Uryu wanted to hear more, but the red-head was extremely tight-lipped about it.

Still, he had to eat something, so he nibbled at an apple.

"But they look so cute together", Rukia sighed. "I thought I was onto something when I set them up!"

Uryu resisted the urge to roll his eyes—Rukia was always trying to set her friends up with someone. The short girl loved to play matchmaker for her friends, and had attempted to get Uryu hooked up with several girls in the past. She was hardly aware that he was gay. She wasn't even aware that her childhood friend Renji had been dating him until a few days ago. But he wasn't going to tell her about that. She'd try to pull him to actual gay bar if she knew. And he really didn't need that.

"Hmm", was his only comment as he bit into the fruit. He shot a secret glance to the teens several tables away as Ichigo and Orihime agreed that it just wasn't working out the way Rukia had planned.

"Uryu, what do you think of all this", the girl asked, slightly irritated.

"Hmm?" He glanced at the girl as she punched him. He rubbed his now bruised shoulder. "Oh, right. Well, I guess not everyone works out like you hope they do. Maybe you should ease up on the matchmaking."

Rukia glared at him. "I'm only trying to help people who are looking for a relationship", she defended. "And both are clearly interested in someone. I know when someone is love-struck."

Uryu could only sigh as Renji joined the two.

"Hey, hey, don't fight here", he said. "Do you want to get detention?"

The raven-haired teen sighed. "No… Big brother wouldn't forgive me if I did."

"And I am a model student", said Uryu. "I've never been in trouble for anything. And it isn't my style to hit a girl, no matter what she might have done.."

"That's what I thought", said Renji. He looked over at the newly broken up couple. "Rukia, I told you they weren't going to work out. They're too much like regular friends."

Rukia turned her glare to her childhood friend. "Oh? I'd like to see you do better", she retorted.

The red-head just laughed. "Maybe we should just not interfere", he suggested.

"Yeah, he can choose someone for himself", said Uryu.


As Rukia balked, he returned to his book. However, his mind was now a million miles away. Renji's intuition had turned out to be right, and the two friends had broken up. Now Ichigo was perfectly single and ripe for the picking. The only problem that remained was the fact that he'd only ever dated girls, partially due to Rukia's handiwork. He didn't show a single sign of being interested in guys like that, let alone interested in Uryu like that. Just what did Renji have tucked up his sleeve? The only way Uryu was going to find out was wait and find out, and possibly go along with it if it seemed plausible.

Uryu stared at the front door for another long minute. As if staring would make him feel more at ease? He didn't know. But there was nothing else left to try, and he was starting to wonder if even selling his soul to a demon would be worth the chance to date Ichigo. But he wouldn't entertain that for long—he liked his soul right where it was presently. Still, what else was he to do if whatever direction Renji had practically shoved him in didn't work out? He still wasn't going to entertain that thought, as much as he secretly pined for Ichigo. He just hoped that even so much as entering the shop didn't write his name down on some invisible contract.

Still, what did he have to lose? If nothing else, he could at least take a look at what Renji had thought up. There was no way he could turn back now—not when he felt so close to what he wanted. He felt as if, if he turned this chance down now, he'd never get another shot. And if this really was his final chance at having something of a romantic relationship with the orange-haired teen, he was going to take it. No one ever got anywhere by never taking chances, and when it came to love, there was never any point in hesitating.

He briskly walked over to the door and opened it, wondering just what lay beyond and inside the strange shop.