Title- Needed to Tell You I Cared
Summery- Kurosaki Ichigo age 17. Ishida Uryû age 18. Uryû saves Ichigo from a hollow that almost killed Karin. Admits that he has strong feelings for Ichigo.
Warning- Swearing, Adult Situations, Uryû x Ichigo in later chapters
Disclaimer- I do not own BLEACH or any characters
Note- in Italics is talking to self or hollow inside

Chapter 1 New Hollow, Different Day

"Run, Karin!" Ichigo yelled to his little sister as the hollow they were fighting swiped at her feet. Karin screamed, ran, then tripped over a stone and landed face first in front of the hollow. "NO!" Ichigo screamed, trying to run towards Karin. But he was stopped when he was hit through the shoulder with one of the hollow's tentacles.

"Ichigo!" yelled Uryû as he pulled back his bow aiming at the hollow's head. His face slightly reddening as Ichigo ran to his sister clutching his arm. "Karin are you alright?" Ichigo asked once he got to her.

How can you be so stupid? Uryû asked himself. If you keep saving his ass but act like a girl when he goes and checks on someone that could be hurt, he'll find out the truth. Now make your face pale again! Uryû rubbed his face in his hands and walked over to Ichigo and Karin.

"Is she alright? Ichigo, you're losing blood fast, go get Rukia to heal your arm. I'll stay with Karin." Uryû said as he got up to them.

"Are you sure?" Ichigo asked, slowly standing Karin up. "Yes," Uryû stated not looking at Ichigo's face but instead the trees around them. Ichigo ran off, promising to be back in less than ten minutes.

"I don't need your protection!" Karin exclaimed once Ichigo was out of sight. "I know," Uryû stated, "but I can't just leave you here alone now."

"Fine, but don't stand too close. You look like a geek, all dressed in white with little splotches of Ichigo's blood on you." She then walked 15 feet away and sat on one of the swings of the playground.

Uryû chuckled, Maybe she'll be nice to me when she finds out that I love her brother... if she finds out.

Once Ichigo returned, he told them that Rukia was taking a break to go visit Renji. Now it was their duty to fight the hollows on their own. He then pulled out her pager to show them that she really had left. It suddenly started to beep. "Not again!" They all said in unison. After checking for the location of the next hollow, he explained that it was in the next park over and that after this it was time for Karin to go home. They ran towards the new enemy thinking nothing of it.

I'll tell him how I feel after this hollow. If he doesn't feel the same way I do then I'll go my own way and leave him alone. Uryû tried to reassure himself that he would not have to leave Ichigo's side. He would hate for it to come to that. They had been through so much since the soul society.

After defeating the hollow Ichigo took Karin home. Poor kid, Ichigo thought to himself, all these new hardships of fighting hollows sure wears her out. Ichigo was so lost in thought that he walked right into Uryû, who was waiting out front for him. "Oh, sorry Uryû. I was lost in thought about Karin." Ichigo walked back a couple of steps.

"Yeah, whatever." Uryû turned away and blushed. He loved the way Ichigo's skin felt on his, the smell of his hair made him tingle inside.. He coughed slightly then turned to Ichigo. "Um... Ichigo... Do you hate me?"

"No, why would I hate you? We settled our differences after the soul society thing. Is there something wrong?" Ichigo looked slightly worried at this remark. "Nothing's wrong I just wanted to know how you felt about me now that the war is over." Uryû felt stupid saying a cheesy line like that. But it's too late now.

Ichigo felt more relieved to know that Uryû didn't hate him. They had become close friends since their first encounter back in the ninth grade. He wondered what was wrong. What if Uryû hated him? He would hate for that as well. He really enjoyed his company. He felt a little happier inside when Uryû was around. He couldn't quite place the feeling though. He had thought that he felt this way for Rukia before the rescue but now that feeling was gone. He now felt it for Uryû. While lost in thought Uryû was contemplating how he should tell this huge secret to Ichigo. Both of them were so lost in thought that they hadn't noticed that they had moved closer towards each other.

They finally snapped out of it when Uryû's hand rubbed up against Ichigo's. "Oi what the hell are you trying to do Ichigo, hold my hand?!" Uryû yelled hating what he said after he said it. "Oh, sorry I didn't mean to it was an accident. Do you hate me that much that I touch your hand a little and you get all defensive? I really didn't mean to." Ichigo spit out as soon as their hands parted. Uryû felt like shit when he heard that come from Ichigo, now look what you did. He thinks that you hate him. Uryû apologized for flipping on him. He slipped his hand back into Ichigo's waiting for a punch in the face but was instead greeted with a little squeeze of his own hand from Ichigo's. Uryû was taken aback. He rounded so that he was now standing in front of Ichigo.

He was practically jumping up and down when he asked, "Ichigo how do you feel about me? Because I like you very, very much, and I just had to get this question out before it ate me up inside. If you hate me I really don't care, as long as I got this..." Uryû was suddenly shut up by Ichigo's lips, which were pressed hard against his. Uryû felt as if he slipped into a dream world.