Ichigo didn't want to grow up. That was the only things he knew for certain. He just really didn't want to grow up. There were reasons for that though.
For one, he wasn't cut out to be an adult. He was sure of that one thing. He would never grow up. He just couldn't.
Truth be told, there were many reasons he didn't want to grow up.
For one, he didn't want to get a full time job. School was fun, Ichigo had to admit. He hated homework, like most people did, and hated doing tests and exams. Oh, but school was fun. His friends were there. Oh, and loath as he was to admit it, the teachers were there as well. And, well, again, but probably even more loath was he to admit this, Ishida was there.
But, then again, he had gotten over the immaturity of hating to admit he cared for Ishida a while ago, hadn't he? Yes, he had.
For another, he didn't want to work in their family clinic. He helped out occasionally, yes. He also knew what to do and how to do it, yes. However, he just didn't want to work in a medical field. He didn't want to so much as study in a medical field. Sure, he could skewer his fair amount of hollows but he could never bring himself to dissect anything. Of course, he also took into account that he just simply wouldn't like it. It didn't suit him. Though, honestly, he didn't think anything did.
Ichigo just didn't want to grow up. It wasn't so easily explained.
However, there was one reason more important than the others. That one reason was that he didn't want to grow out of love. He didn't want to grow out of love with Ishida. It had taken him so long to realize that he had fallen in love; even the thought of growing out of love pained him.
So often, he could see the spark couples once had die out. He never wanted that to happen between Ishida and himself. He wanted never to stop loving him. He didn't want to grow out of that, like you would a pair of shoes. Growing out of love was unimaginable—unthinkable—and he didn't want it to happen.
It was silly, he knew. He knew that beyond any doubts anyone could have. But, he was also afraid. He was so afraid that it would, by some horrid twist of fate, happen. So, he didn't want to grow up.
So, he told Ishida this. He explained it all in words only Ichigo could have used, short and to the point, stopping and stuttering before backtracking and repeating—the way Ichigo explained things.
And then, Ishida had smiled—and even laughed.
"You're joking, right?" he asked. And then, he smiled again, taking Ichigo's hand into his own. "As long as you don't, I won't. That's a promise."
And, if there was anything Ichigo could do, it was believe Ishida.
So, Ichigo changed his mind. He no longer refused to grow up. In fact, he was looking forward to growing up.
So long as he was allowed to grow up with Ishida.
Author's Note: Ugh. Late again. I really suck at this. I thought I'd be free over the Thanksgiving holiday but, no, family stuff ate up my time so I couldn't post it yesterday. I apologize. I'll try my hardest to make it for the next one! There's shouldn't be holidays around that one, right...? Anyway, this was inspired by Peter Pan, as anyone would have guessed. Yes, it's a classic. Oh, I love it. Very much. Anyway, enjoy if you can!