Ichigo shifted uncomfortably, throwing the covers away from his body. It was too damn hot. He pulled open his window, sighing as only the faintest of breezes drifted into his room. Resigning himself to being awake for a while yet, he leaned on the windowsill and stared out at the peaceful street below. Come on…let Renji show up with news about a Hollow or something so that he wasn't just wasting the time. Yeah…he could use a fight with Renji right about now. He liked the man, he really did. Hated his guts at first, in no small part because of the outcome of their first encounter, but he'd grown really fond of him. They were similar; he'd finally found what he'd been looking for in Renji, after a lot of searching.
Having grown up with Isshin always around the corner ready to attack when he let down his guard had made him adore conflict. When he fought with his father, exchanged insults and blows, it made him happy. As screwed up as it was, he knew that the fights were shows of affection; even when they did end with bleeding and bandages. It drove Yuzu crazy, but Karin understood and joined in as well. Ever since he was a kid, he looked for that in friendship. Yeah, getting mocked about his hair annoyed him, but part of the reason he fought each one was in hopes of finding someone who looked at things his way.
When he first lay eyes on Chad, he thought for sure that he would have found what he wanted. The other boy was huge, and obviously well-suited to fighting, but…he never did. He wasn't the type who wanted conflict, would start fights when happy and keep at it until he was exhausted. Quite the opposite. But nonetheless, they became close.
Rukia was the trigger that set everything in motion. At first, she'd seemed the perfect opponent. Hot-headed, bossy, stubborn…he was certain they'd get along. And they did, even with things having been rocky at points. But yet again he found himself hoping for someone he could really bond with.
Ishida nearly killed him, but at the same time taught him a lot about being a Shinigami and what it entailed...there had been so much promise with him. He wanted to get strong enough to beat Ishida, make him take back every negative word he'd ever said. It was wonderful while it lasted, but soon enough they became somewhat close as friends and all the fighting stopped.
When he encountered Renji, there was none of the happiness that he'd felt fighting Ishida. He felt nothing but hatred for the man who came in declaring that he was going to take Rukia to her execution. Byakuya was another thing entirely; he couldn't even feel hatred for him; he was too baffled by the man. That hadn't changed much over time, but after spending more time with Renji, his feelings had changed drastically.
He'd tested him one day, starting a fight out of absolutely nowhere to see what Renji would do. His response had been a kick and a wide grin. They'd fought for the better part of an hour, both panting and covered in dirt when they were finished. This was it; what Ichigo had been looking for. They'd kept up their meetings throughout Ichigo's time in Soul Society, and it was with slight resentment that he left Renji behind.
When Renji had later shown up in the material world, he'd been both panicked and ecstatic, the latter taking over when Renji whined about his body being constricting since it meant a potential advantage if he could keep Renji in it. They'd kept up the fighting, sometimes using the excuse of training and sometimes just letting it be what it was, and every time was more enjoyable than the last. Their fights had changed a little over the months, and lately he hadn't been winning as much, but he really didn't mind. Ichigo shivered slightly as the wind picked up, making the papers on his desk flutter. His room had cooled down now, and there was no sign of either Hollows or Renji. Sighing, he slid the window shut again and laid his head on the cold pillow. As memories flickered through his mind, he smiled softly and closed his eyes. Tomorrow, he'd take back some of his pride, even if it did mean playing a little bit dirty…