Thank You, This Is All I Wanted To Say

Characters: Ichigo, Ishida

Summary: Going and coming back from Soul Society for the first time, Ichigo says thanks.

If there were things in his life which he regretted doing, or not doing, then it would be utterly ignorant about his existence earlier even though they were all studying within the same classroom. Now that he got to know more about him, there seemed to be too many things Ichigo wanted to tell Ishida. At times he wondered if he would, if given the choice, be willing to share his present life time with him. He would.

"Don't forget that we are still enemies."

Those were the Quincy's last words the previous night.

Were they? Was he ready to change that?

Good stories started off with a good introduction. The currently-official-substitute-Shinigami would not have thought of how difficult it was to begin one. Yet, after pondering about the situation the whole night before, and the morning after, he decided to verbalize his feeling later that same day.

♥♥♥♥♥

Ishida, he noted, had been acting strange. Withdrawn? No. He was seen overly cheerful, replying greetings from each and every fallow classmate. With that constant soft smile on his clear face, he began to wonder if it was because of the relief of coming back alive from the past perilous adventure, or was it simply his enthusiasm about the new semester.

One thing for sure: Class was a bore; lunch break was hard to come. But as it finally approached, Ishida was nowhere in sight. Ichigo jumped off from his seat, wiping streams of drool off his chin.

"Baka, I slept through the morning."

Without much effort he found the Quincy sitting alone at one isolated corner of the compound, his attention devoted wholly on his lunch – this was his great chance to express his affection. But Ichigo halted at a distance, doubting again about his plan. However, whatever the outcomes of his chaotic thoughts were, he mentally gave himself a kick at the butt: Had he chickened out?

He gathered his courage, took a deep breath and sneaked up behind him.

"Having lunch alone?"

Ishida jumped at the unexpected visitor, his food almost spilling off his lunchbox.

"What do you want?" he asked, irritated at his misbehaviour. Generally a well tolerant person, he welcomed company whenever there was one, but not if he was unceremoniously disturbed, especially while he was having his important lunch. The cocky smile on Ichigo's face did more harm than good to accentuate his irritation.

Ichigo laughed apologetically while boldly sat beside him without being invited to do so. "I forgot to give you a present," he shoved a hand into one random pocket.

Seeing that, he raised a slender brow. "Since when are we exchanging gifts?"

"Ah, no…," What miserable explanation would he come out with now? "Isn't it nice to show friends that someone out there cares for them?" He gave himself another mental kick.

He returned to his lunch. "I won't be fooled."

"I don't think it is nice to reject a request from a friend," Ichigo tried again, albeit awkwardly, weakly.

Ishida put down his lunch, sighing audibly. "Alright, I will accept it."

"Before that," Ichigo added, a smile insidiously crept at the corners of his lips. Calm down. Calm down. You are progressing well. "I need you to close your eyes."

Ishida rolled his eyes at his strangely agitated friend. "I don't have time for your games."

"Come on. It wouldn't be fun if we do it otherwise." He flinched, mentally, at his overly forthrightness.

"Fine! Make it quick."

This is it, he thought. Swallowing a lump down his dry throat, he advanced towards his target, i.e. he made his move. With a hand snaking around the back of his neck, the other brushing off a few strand of hair from his forehead, before the Quincy had time to react to the sudden intimacy, he planted a kiss on his lips, long and deep enough to take his breath away.

It was hard to ignore the hint of blushing on his checks at the end of his unanticipated act.

"What was that for?" Ishida exclaimed. His lunch had fallen off unnoticed at the lawn. Still breathless, he fingers reached up to his properly redden and puffy lips. Obviously, of all the presents he received before, he had never in his life expected this, from a guy – he had totally no clue.

Ichigo forced a smile; he was really bad at starting off a story.

His initial plan was to say: "I just wanted to invite you out for dinner this evening." Yet what came out as a reply was so neutral that he wished he had not sought him out in the first place.

"I just wanted to say thank you for being my enemy. That and all the stuffs we had gone through at Soul Society."

He left quietly without taking a second look back at his astounded classmate.

The End