Ichigo… he was flawless; strong, protective, brave, caring, smart, nice, gorgeous… and I fell for him straight away. Sure, he was always scowling and his smiles were rare but that made them more beautiful. And his laugh… Ichigo was quite possibly the most perfect creature ever to walk the world. I was a nervous wreck when I was in his company but he was always so calm and it was reassuring. Something about him just screamed confidence. Ichigo was amazing and everything about him enticed me. Of course, I wasn't the only one who felt that way about him.
Somehow we became friends and I felt more comfortable around him. Sometimes we would be in the middle of a normal conversation and he would laugh or smile and I'd find myself transfixed, mesmerized by his beauty. I struggled to work out why he made my heart flutter and my breathing slow.
Then Kuchiki-san appeared out of nowhere and Ichigo changed. He was quieter, more thoughtful and rarely came to school but when he did he was always tired. He spent so much time with her and was constantly running out of class with her not coming back until the next day. I suspected that he had a relationship with Kuchiki-san. It was painful for me to watch Ichigo with her but he acted no differently around her than anyone else so I ignored my fears. Everything was fine and I was closer to him than ever.
Abruptly everything changed. Chad and I found out who Ichigo really was and who we really were. I had powers I'd never known about before and I was stronger. Urahara-san began to teach us and I got more and more powerful as I gained better control over my abilities. The powers that had been awakened in me by Ichigo were what I needed in order to prove myself and I tried my hardest to be good enough for him.
Not longer after Kuchiki-san was taken. Ichigo spent less time at school and Chad and I trained day after day with Yuroichi, striving to become powerful enough to save her. I knew how much she meant to Ichigo. She changed his life. This knowledge made me keep going.
Finally the day arrived for us to go after Kuchiki-san and save her from execution. Seeing Ichigo fight was breathtaking. He was graceful and skilled, taking out enemy after enemy. His elegance, his speed, his abilities… everything about him amazed me. I tried to fight but there were always others protecting me. I wanted so badly to help Ichigo but my efforts were in vain.
Ichigo fought and won his last battle but was badly injured in the process. Seeing him all bloody and close to death scared me. I cried as I healed him, knowing that losing him would be so incredibly painful. That was when I finally knew that I was in love with him.
He slowly recovered and we made it home Urahara-san took us home after our arrival in Karakura Town. I went home but I wanted desperately to see Ichigo and after a shower and a snack I went to the Kurosaki Clinic. He wasn't there so I instead went to Urahara Shoten. Jinta let me in and told me to go down to the training room beneath the shop.
As I walked to the training room I heard talking so I stopped before entering not wanting to interrupt Ichigo's training. It was Urahara-san and Ichigo arguing. I strained my ears, trying to work out why they were fighting.
"What is your problem? Why don't you believe me?" Ichigo yelled.
"Because, Ichigo, you're only fifteen. You don't mean it," Urahara-san replied, forcing his voice to sound calm.
"Kisuke, I'm being serious. You believed me when I told you before I left. You told me that you felt the same way."
Ichigo lowered and softened his voice. "I know that you love me too. We both know that so stop denying it." He gently wrapped his arms around Urahara-san and kissed him. Gods, how I wished those lips were on mine, those hands tangling in my hair.
Wait, what? Slowly his words sunk in. Urahara-san loves him? That can't be right. How could I have not noticed this?
Urahara-san's hands knotted into Ichigo's hair as he kissed back before pulling away.
"I'm sorry. You're right; we both know it so why resist? I love you Ichigo."
Why did I just stand there? Tears began rolling down my face and it physically hurt to watch. I felt like throwing up. My head was pounding, my pulse was irregular, and my breaths were uneven. I wanted to leave, I couldn't stand watching Ichigo like that, but my feet wouldn't respond.
How did I not know? I thought back. Ichigo had never dated. I couldn't remember him ever looking at anyone the way he was now looking at Urahara-san. It hurt to know this.
And then came those words that crushed my world.
"I love you Kisuke."