First of a series of drabble featuring the boys, various scenes of their lives back and forward in the future, friendship, fights, love.

The rating will eventually get higher.

This is settled right after ichigo's fight with the Grand Fisher, at the very beginning of the series.

The Strenght of Two

When Chad came back home on that evening after his part-time job and the late band-practice to find his main-door not locked, he wasn't really surprised. He had seen it that morning. He'd seen the way Ichigo's shoulders were hunched, he saw him smiling and laugh back at some joke Keigo made, and he felt the insincerity of it all like a sting to his own heart. There was no bad intention, of course. To Ichigo having his friends not worrying about him was worthy a school-morning of fake-happiness, and often enough that was it. The next day Ichigo would have been back to his usual self, the reason for his bad mood gone, or put at distance.

Sometimes however, it wasn't that easy.

Chad went in and turned the switch on, lighting up the one-room flat and the orange-head sitting on the floor with his back leaning against the wall. Ichigo looked up and smiled.

"One day you'll come back and find some thief instead of me, if you go on leaving the keys under the doormat."

"Mh."

The tall boy was not troubled by that. After all there really was nothing worth robbery in that flat, the only thing he really treasured always with him. And at least Ichigo wouldn't freeze while waiting for him on evenings like that. He put down the guitar, placing it on its support, and moved to the small kitchen.

"Do you want some coffee or anything?" he asked, opening the fridge and checking what was left.

"Naw, I'm ok."

Chad helped himself some juice, then he went back and sat next to Ichigo, who was resting his head back against the wall, eyes closed. The mexican waited patiently, listening to the noises from the road. Slowly, he became more and more aware of the slow breathing of the other boy, istinctively settling his own at pace with it.

"How the hell I'm supposed to do that, Chad?"

Ichigo's voice was soft, alomost subdued. It made Chad wonder if he had been crying, glancing to his face for some sign of it, and immediately snorting at himself. Ichigo crying, sure…

"I mean… how can I do that? How can I protect somebody when simply by being close to them I'm putting them in-- just, how can I do that when I'm so fucking weak?" He leant forward, pressing his hands over his face, then he let out an exasperated snort, and ran them through his spiky hair. "And I am weak, there's no way to deny it. Just every fucking day I get more proofs of that."

Chad spoke not a word. He knew Ichigo didn't come to him to get some soothing words, or anything of that kind. Actually, he wasn't sure why Ichigo came to him when he was crushed like that, what kind of comfort he found in the silent boy's presence. Chad listened to him, kept him company if Ichigo felt like going out to look for some distraction at the arcade or anywhere, and sometimes he walked him back home. The day after Ichigo never talked about it and that was ok to Chad. If he was able to do something to get his best friend sleep through the night, that was enough. There was no reason to feel embarrassed or awkward about it.

Still, this time something was off. He didn't understand what was really troubling Ichigo, he just felt there was something more than his usual concern for the well-being of the people he cared for. Something deeper, and he was sure that talking about it would have not settled or eased it, otherwise Ichigo would have already done it. And it was frustrating like mad.

Chad raised his right arm and put it on Ichigo's shoulders, giving him a brief squeeze, looking for something, anything, to show him he was there, always, ready to support him. He was a bit surprised when Ichigo leant into the touch, and then the smaller boy turned towards him, throwing an arm across his chest and latching it on his left shoulder, and pressed his face against Chad's collarbone, hard, almost painfully, eyes squeezed shut. Chad's eyes widened, almost shocked, for a moment at the breaking, but then he put both his arms around the smaller form, holding him.

"You know you don't have to do it alone." Chad wondered what that "it" was, exactly, but that wasn't the most pressful matter. "I'll protect what you care for, too."

"I don't want to put my weakness on your shoulders too." Ichigo's voice was muffled, and stubborn all the same.

The taller boy chuckled. "After you already took the weight of my own? You won't have me forget our promise that easily." Ichigo did not reply to that, only pushed himself closer, if that was possible. They stayed like that for a while, anchoring each other good.